Privacy Policy

Effective from: 1 September 2026

1. Introduction

Nifty Bear Limited (“Nifty Bear”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, become a client, use our services or otherwise interact with us.

Nifty Bear Limited is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17401040.

Registered Office: C/O Vantage Accounting, 1 Cedar Office Park, Cobham Road, Wimborne, United Kingdom, BH21 7SB.

For personal information that we collect and use for our own business purposes, Nifty Bear Limited is the data controller.

When providing services to clients, such as website hosting, maintenance, development or technical support, we may also process personal information on a client’s behalf. In these circumstances, the client will generally be the data controller and Nifty Bear Limited will act as a data processor.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal information, please contact us at info@niftybear.co.uk.

2. Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Website enquiries

When you contact us through our website, we may collect:

• your name;
• your email address;
• your telephone number; and
• any information you provide within your message.

Information submitted through our website contact forms may be stored within our WordPress website and associated form software.

Clients and prospective clients

When you enquire about or purchase our services, we may also collect information such as:

• your name and contact details;
• your business or organisation name;
• correspondence between you and Nifty Bear;
• information necessary to prepare proposals, quotations and contracts;
• project requirements and information you provide to enable us to deliver our services;
• billing, transaction and payment information;
• records relating to services we have provided to you;
• website, domain, hosting and other technical information; and
• account details and credentials where these are required to provide our services.

Payments to Nifty Bear are currently made by bank transfer. We do not process card payments through our website.

Technical and website information

When you use our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, which may include:

• IP address;
• browser type and version;
• device information;
• pages visited;
• time spent on the website;
• referring websites;
• approximate location derived from technical information; and
• information about how visitors interact with our website.

We use services including Google Analytics and analytics provided through our website hosting infrastructure to help us understand website performance and usage.

Other analytics, measurement or tracking technologies may be used from time to time. Where required, non-essential technologies will only be activated in accordance with your cookie preferences.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and requests;
• prepare quotations and proposals;
• enter into and manage client contracts;
• provide website design, development, hosting, maintenance, marketing and related services;
• communicate with clients about their projects and services;
• manage our client relationships;
• issue invoices and maintain accounting records;
• administer and secure websites and hosting environments;
• troubleshoot technical problems;
• improve our website, services and customer experience;
• analyse website traffic and performance;
• maintain the security of our systems;
• meet our legal, regulatory, tax and accounting obligations;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims; and
• send marketing communications where permitted by law.

We will not sell your personal information.

4. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely upon:

Contract – where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contract with you.

Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our business, responding to business enquiries, maintaining client relationships, securing our systems, improving our services and protecting our legal interests.

Legal obligation – where we need to process information to comply with a legal, tax, accounting or regulatory requirement.

Consent – where you have specifically consented to a particular use of your information, including certain marketing or analytics activities where consent is required.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

5. Marketing

We may send information about Nifty Bear’s services, news, offers or other relevant business communications where we are legally permitted to do so.

Depending on the circumstances, this may be because you have consented to receive marketing, because applicable rules permit us to contact you in connection with similar services, or because the communication is permitted in a business-to-business context.

You can ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time by using any unsubscribe facility provided or by contacting info@niftybear.co.uk.

Opting out of marketing will not prevent us from sending communications that are necessary to administer an existing contract or service.

6. Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to operate. Others may help us understand how visitors use our website, measure performance or support other functionality.

We use Google Analytics and may use other analytics and measurement technologies from time to time.

Where consent is legally required, non-essential cookies and similar technologies will not be used until you have provided your consent through our cookie management system.

You can change or withdraw your cookie preferences using the controls available on our website.

More information about the cookies currently in use may be provided through our cookie notice or cookie management tool.

7. Client Websites and Personal Information We Process on Behalf of Clients

As part of our website design, development, hosting, maintenance and support services, Nifty Bear may have technical access to personal information collected or stored by our clients.

This might include:

• website contact form submissions;
• website user accounts;
• customer information;
• e-commerce customer or order information;
• mailing list information; and
• other information stored within a client’s website, hosting environment or associated services.

Where we process this information solely on the client’s instructions in order to provide our services, the client is normally the data controller and Nifty Bear Limited acts as a data processor.

We will only access or use such information where reasonably necessary to provide our services, resolve technical issues, maintain systems, meet our contractual obligations or where otherwise instructed or authorised by the client.

Clients remain responsible for ensuring that their own collection and use of personal information complies with applicable data protection legislation.

Where required by UK data protection law, our processing relationship with clients will be governed by appropriate contractual terms.

8. Service Providers, Suppliers and Subcontractors

We use third-party providers to operate our business and deliver our services.

These may include providers of:

• website and cloud hosting;
• website software and plugins;
• domain and DNS services;
• email and productivity services;
• cloud storage;
• password and credential management;
• accounting and bookkeeping services;
• analytics;
• design and creative software;
• artificial intelligence tools;
• IT and security services; and
• other professional and technical services.

Services currently used within our business include platforms such as Cloudways, Google Workspace, Google Analytics, OneDrive, Google Drive, Canva, FreeAgent and password-management software.

We may also engage trusted freelancers, developers and other subcontractors to assist in providing services. Where necessary for their work, they may be given limited access to client websites, systems or information.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that suppliers and subcontractors handling personal information are subject to appropriate confidentiality, security and data protection obligations.

Access should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant service or assignment.

9. Artificial Intelligence Tools

Nifty Bear may use third-party artificial intelligence and automated tools to assist with aspects of its work, including research, drafting, content development, coding, troubleshooting, creative development and other business activities.

Our use of such services is also subject to the relevant provisions of our Terms of Business.

Where information is processed using third-party AI services, we will take reasonable steps to use such services appropriately and to avoid providing personal or confidential information where this is not reasonably necessary.

Third-party AI providers operate under their own contractual, security and privacy arrangements.

We do not use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

10. Passwords, Credentials and Security Information

In order to provide website, hosting and technical services, clients may provide us with account credentials or we may create credentials on their behalf.

We use password-management software to securely manage credentials required for our business and client services.

Access to passwords and credentials is restricted to those who reasonably require access to perform the relevant work.

Clients should notify us promptly when access needs to be changed or revoked.

11. International Transfers

Some of the third-party services and cloud-based systems we use may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally and UK data protection law requires safeguards to be in place, we will rely on an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism. This may include transfers to countries recognised as providing an adequate level of protection or the use of appropriate contractual safeguards or other mechanisms permitted under UK data protection law.

You can contact us if you would like further information about safeguards relevant to your personal information.

12. How Long We Keep Information

We do not retain personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking into account our legal, accounting, contractual and regulatory obligations.

As a general guide:

General enquiries that do not become clients: normally retained for up to 12 months after the enquiry is concluded.

Client information, contracts, project records and significant business correspondence: normally retained for up to 6 years after the client relationship ends, unless there is a reason to retain particular information for longer or delete it sooner. 

Accounting, invoice and transaction records: normally retained for at least 6 years, or for any longer period required by applicable tax, accounting or legal requirements. 

Marketing information: retained until you unsubscribe, object to the processing or we determine that the information is no longer reasonably required. We may retain limited information necessary to record and respect an opt-out.

Website analytics and technical information: retained in accordance with our operational requirements and the retention settings of the relevant analytics, hosting or technology provider.

Information processed on behalf of clients: retained in accordance with our contractual arrangements and the client’s instructions, subject to any legal obligations that require otherwise.

Information may be retained for longer where necessary in connection with an actual or reasonably anticipated dispute, legal claim, regulatory requirement or other legal obligation.

We will periodically review the information we hold and securely delete or anonymise information that is no longer required.

13. How We Protect Personal Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure or misuse.

These measures may include:

• password-management systems;
• access controls;
• secure cloud services;
• appropriate website and hosting security measures;
• restricted access to client systems;
• backups where appropriate;
• software and system updates; and
• confidentiality and data protection requirements for people working on our behalf.

No internet-based service or method of electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take proportionate steps to protect the information entrusted to us.

14. Sharing Personal Information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share information where reasonably necessary with:

• service providers that support our business;
• hosting, cloud and technology providers;
• accountants, bookkeepers and other professional advisers;
• freelancers and subcontractors assisting with client work;
• analytics and software providers;
• government bodies, regulators, courts or law enforcement where legally required; and
• professional advisers or other parties where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Where third parties process information on our behalf, we seek to ensure appropriate data protection arrangements are in place.

15. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which we process your information, UK data protection law may give you rights including the right to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict how we use your information in certain circumstances;
• object to certain uses of your personal information;
• receive certain information in a portable format where applicable; and
• withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every circumstance.

Your right to object

You have the right to object at any time to the use of your personal information for direct marketing. If you object, we will stop using your personal information for that purpose.

You may also have a right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, depending on your particular circumstances.

To exercise any of your rights, contact info@niftybear.co.uk.

We may need to ask for information to verify your identity before responding to a request.

16. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first at:

Nifty Bear Limited, C/O Vantage Accounting, 1 Cedar Office Park, Cobham Road, Wimborne, United Kingdom, BH21 7SB

Email: info@niftybear.co.uk

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator.

Further information is available from the ICO at ico.org.uk.

17. Children’s Information

Our services are intended for businesses and adult clients. We do not knowingly offer our services directly to children or intentionally collect personal information from children through our website.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us so that we can take appropriate action.

18. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. We recommend reviewing the privacy information provided by any third-party website you visit.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our business, services, technology or legal obligations.

The latest version will be published on our website and the effective date shown at the top of this policy will be updated where appropriate.

20. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, requests concerning your personal information or other privacy matters, please contact:

Nifty Bear Limited

Company No. 17401040 – Registered in England and Wales

Registered Office: C/O Vantage Accounting, 1 Cedar Office Park, Cobham Road, Wimborne, United Kingdom, BH21 7SB

Email: info@niftybear.co.uk