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Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Jo Jacob trading as Benella ("Benella", "I", "me", "my" or "the business") collects, uses, stores and protects personal information.

Benella is a sole trader business owned and operated by Jo Jacob.

Jo Jacob is the data controller for the personal information processed by Benella. This means I am responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is collected and used and for ensuring that it is handled appropriately and securely.

Benella respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you provide.

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If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact:

Jo Jacob
Benella
Email: jo@benella.co.uk

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Please let me know if your personal information changes so that I can keep my records accurate and up to date.

 

2. What personal information do I collect?

The information I collect depends on how you interact with Benella.

This may include:

  • Your name

  • Postal address

  • Email address

  • Telephone number

  • Information relating to your enquiry, booking or purchase

  • Information about your requirements and the services you are interested in

  • Information necessary to provide organising, decluttering, moving, downsizing or related services

  • Payment and transaction information

  • Photographs provided by you or taken during an organising session

  • Information you provide when signing up to my email list

  • Information you provide when downloading a free resource

  • Information you provide when purchasing a digital product, course or other Benella product

  • Information you provide when contacting me through my website, email, telephone or social media

  • Technical information relating to your use of my website, where applicable, including information collected through cookies and analytics technologies

I aim to collect only the information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Information relating to your circumstances

When providing organising, decluttering, moving or downsizing services, you may choose to tell me information about your personal circumstances, family situation, home or other matters relevant to the service I am providing.

I will only use information of this nature where it is necessary and appropriate for providing the service or responding to your request.

Please avoid providing information that is not necessary for me to provide the service.

 

3. How do I collect your personal information?

I may collect information directly from you when you:

  • Contact me by email, telephone or social media

  • Make an enquiry

  • Book a service, workshop or online session

  • Become a Benella client

  • Purchase a course or digital product

  • Sign up to my email list

  • Download a free resource

  • Complete an online form

  • Visit or use the Benella website

  • Communicate with me during or after a service

I may also receive limited information from third-party platforms you use to interact with Benella, including website, booking, payment, email marketing, course and ecommerce platforms.

 

4. Why do I use your personal information?

I use personal information for the following purposes:

Providing my services

I use your information to:

  • Respond to enquiries

  • Arrange appointments and sessions

  • Provide organising, decluttering, moving and downsizing services

  • Communicate with you about your booking or service

  • Provide information or resources you have requested

  • Provide access to courses and digital products

  • Follow up with you where appropriate

  • Maintain appropriate business records

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Managing payments and purchases

I use personal information where necessary to process purchases, payments, refunds and orders and to maintain appropriate financial and accounting records.

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Payments for Benella products and services may be processed by Wix and Stripe.

Providing online courses and digital products

Benella uses Funnel Sketchers to provide and manage online courses, digital products and related customer access.

Information such as your name and email address may be processed by Funnel Sketchers where necessary to provide the product or service you have purchased.

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Email marketing

If you choose to subscribe to Benella's email list, I use your name and email address to send newsletters, updates, offers, information and other relevant marketing communications.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting jo@benella.co.uk.

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Website and business administration

I may use personal information to operate, maintain and improve my website, manage enquiries and bookings, understand how visitors use my website and maintain the security of my systems.

 

5. What is my lawful basis for using your information?

I will only process personal information where I have a lawful basis to do so under UK data protection law.

Depending on the circumstances, I rely on one or more of the following:

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Contract

I may process your information where this is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, for example when providing a service, course or digital product that you have purchased.

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Legitimate interests

I may process information where this is necessary for my legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

This may include managing my business, communicating with clients about relevant services, maintaining business records, improving my services and protecting my business.

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Consent

Where consent is required, I will ask for your consent before processing your information for that purpose.

For example, I will obtain appropriate permission before using identifiable photographs of your home, belongings or other personal information for promotional purposes.

You can withdraw consent at any time.

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Legal obligation

I may process personal information where this is necessary for me to comply with a legal, accounting, tax, insurance or regulatory obligation.

The lawful basis I rely on will depend on the specific circumstances and purpose for which your information is being processed.

 

6. Email marketing

If you sign up to receive Benella's emails, your name and email address will be stored by the email marketing service I use.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in each email or by contacting jo@benella.co.uk.

Unsubscribing from marketing communications does not affect personal information that I need to retain for other lawful purposes, such as fulfilling a contract, maintaining financial records or complying with legal obligations.

 

7. Photographs

Photographs may be taken before, during or after an organising session where they are useful for documenting progress or providing you with a record of the work completed.

Photographs may include your home, rooms, belongings, paperwork or other items.

Where photographs are taken for this purpose, they are treated as confidential client information.

I will not use photographs of your home, belongings or other identifiable information for marketing, social media, advertising or other promotional purposes without your permission.

Where you give permission for photographs to be used publicly, I will take reasonable steps to avoid including faces, personal documents, addresses or other information that could unnecessarily identify you.

You may withdraw permission for future use of photographs at any time.

Photographs may be stored securely on my password protected devices and in my password protected iCloud account.

 

8. Who do I share your information with?

Benella does not sell your personal information.

I do, however, use trusted third-party service providers to operate my business and provide services to you.

These may include:

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Wix

My website is hosted and operated using Wix. Wix may process information submitted through the Benella website and technical information relating to website visitors.

My website uses a cookie consent mechanism which allows visitors to control non-essential cookies. Analytics cookies are only used where the relevant consent has been provided.

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Funnel Sketchers

I use Funnel Sketchers to provide and manage online courses and digital products.

Funnel Sketchers may process customer information on my behalf where necessary to provide these services. Funnel Sketchers' terms provide for data processing arrangements where it acts as a processor.

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Stripe

I use Stripe to process payments for certain Benella services, courses and digital products.

Stripe processes payment and transaction information in accordance with its own privacy information and applicable data protection arrangements. Stripe provides a Data Processing Agreement as part of its services agreement.

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iCloud

I use Apple's iCloud service for secure backup and storage of certain business information, including photographs and client information.

Email, calendar and other business software

I may use third-party providers for email, diary management, online forms, communications, accounting, administration and other business functions.

I only provide information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant service.

Some third-party providers may process or store information outside the UK. Where this happens, I will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable UK data protection requirements.

 

9. Diary access for personal safety

When I visit clients in their homes, I use a password-protected online diary/calendar to record appointment details, including the client's address.

For my personal safety, my husband and my technical virtual assistant have access to my diary so that someone knows where I am working.

This information is accessed for safety and business administration purposes only.

They are not authorised to use client information for marketing or any unrelated purpose.

Diary information is deleted when it is no longer reasonably required, subject to any necessary business, legal or insurance requirements.

 

10. How do I keep your information secure?

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

These measures include:

  • Password-protected devices

  • Password-protected online accounts

  • Secure cloud storage and backups

  • Keeping devices securely stored when not in use

  • Limiting access to personal information to people who need it for legitimate business or safety purposes

  • Using reputable third-party service providers

  • Keeping software and systems appropriately updated

No method of electronic storage or transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but I take reasonable steps to protect the information I hold.

 

11. How long do I keep your information?

I do not keep personal information indefinitely.

Different types of information are retained for different periods depending on why the information was collected and whether I have a legal, accounting, insurance or business reason to retain it.

Client and business records

Certain client and business information may be retained for up to seven years where this is necessary for accounting, tax, insurance, legal or legitimate business purposes.

iCloud backups

Business information and photographs may be stored in my password-protected iCloud account for up to seven years where they form part of my business records or where retention is reasonably necessary for legal, insurance or business purposes.

Information that is no longer required will be deleted or securely disposed of where appropriate.

Marketing information

If you unsubscribe from Benella's marketing communications, you will no longer receive marketing emails.

I may retain limited information, such as your email address and unsubscribe record, where necessary to ensure that I do not send you further marketing communications.

Photographs

Photographs taken during client work will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which they were taken, including providing a record of completed work, client support, insurance or legitimate business requirements.

Where photographs are no longer required, they will be deleted securely.

My retention periods are reviewed periodically and may be shortened where information is no longer necessary.

 

12. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you

  • Ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Ask me to delete your personal information where there is no good reason for me to continue processing it

  • Ask me to restrict how I use your information in certain circumstances

  • Object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing

  • Ask for your information to be provided in a portable format in certain circumstances

  • Withdraw consent where I am relying on consent to process your information

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the circumstances and the lawful basis for processing.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact jo@benella.co.uk.

I will normally respond to a valid request without undue delay and, in most circumstances, within one month.

 

13. Cookies and analytics

The Benella website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to function. Non-essential cookies, including analytics cookies, are subject to the cookie consent mechanism on the website.

Visitors can choose whether to accept non-essential cookies and can change their cookie preferences through the website's cookie settings.

The Benella website uses analytics to understand how visitors use the website and to help improve the website and services.

The use of non-essential cookies is subject to applicable UK privacy and electronic communications requirements.

 

14. Social media

Benella uses social media platforms to communicate with customers, promote services and share content.

If you interact with Benella through social media, the relevant platform may collect and process your personal information in accordance with its own privacy policy.

Benella does not control how these platforms process information.

I will not deliberately publish personal information about clients through social media without an appropriate lawful basis and, where required, their permission.

 

15. Children's information

Benella's services and products are primarily intended for adults.

I do not knowingly collect children's personal information for marketing purposes.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to Benella without appropriate consent, please contact me so that I can review and, where appropriate, delete the information.

 

16. Data breaches

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information.

If a personal data breach occurs, I will assess the breach and take appropriate action in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Where legally required, I will notify the Information Commissioner's Office and/or affected individuals.

 

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to my business, the services I provide, the technology I use or changes in data protection law.

The latest version will be published on the Benella website and will show the date it was last updated.

 

18. Complaints

If you have a concern about the way I have handled your personal information, please contact me first so that I have the opportunity to resolve it.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe that your personal information has been handled unlawfully.

You can contact the ICO through its website:

Information Commissioner's Office

Data Controller: Jo Jacob trading as Benella
Email: jo@benella.co.uk

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Last updated: 14 August 2026

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