Privacy policy

SterlingPeak ("we", "our", "us") operates sterlingpeak.uk, an independent UK publication covering accounting, payroll, and business software for SMEs. We are the data controller for personal information collected through this website.

We collect personal information in the following ways:

• Newsletter sign-up: Email address and optionally your first name, to send our weekly briefing.
• Contact form: Name, email address, company (optional), subject, and message content, to respond to your enquiry.
• Analytics: Aggregated and anonymised usage data (pages visited, referral source, device type) collected to improve site content and performance.
• Cookies: Essential cookies for site functionality and, where consent is given, analytics cookies. See our Cookie Policy for details.

• To deliver the newsletter you subscribed to
• To respond to contact form enquiries
• To improve our content, editorial coverage, and site performance
• To comply with legal obligations under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

• Consent: Newsletter subscriptions and non-essential cookies
• Legitimate interest: Responding to enquiries, improving content quality, and maintaining site security
• Legal obligation: Retaining records where required by law

We share personal data only with trusted service providers who process it on our behalf:

• Hosting provider: For serving the website securely
• Email service: For delivering newsletters
• Database provider: For storing contact form submissions securely

All processors are contractually obligated to handle data in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

• Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe
• Contact form submissions are retained for up to 24 months and then deleted
• Analytics data is aggregated and anonymised; no individual data is retained beyond 26 months

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing of, and port your personal data. You may also withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Where data is processed outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions recognised by the UK government.

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance.

For privacy-related enquiries, please contact us with the subject "Privacy enquiry".