This Privacy Policy explains how HOLDEN DESIGN (“I”, “me”) collects, uses, and protects personal information. It applies to: • Visitors to my website • People who contact me by email • Clients who pay for design plans through Stripe
I keep things simple: I collect only the information needed to run the business, deliver work, and stay compliant with payment and tax rules. I do not sell or trade your personal data.
1. Who is responsible for your information
HOLDEN DESIGN is an independent, one-person operation based in Canada. The same person who speaks with you and does the work also controls the information collected about you. If you have questions about this policy, email: holden@theholden.ca
2. What information I collect
I collect information in three main ways:
a) Information you provide directly When you contact me or become a client, you may provide: • Name • Email address • Business name • Basic information about your real estate practice (city, focus, listings, etc.) • Any content or assets you send (logos, photos, copy, screenshots) If you pay through Stripe, you also provide billing-related information directly to Stripe (see Section 4).
b) Information collected automatically when you visit the website My website is hosted on a third-party platform (Squarespace). Like most websites, it may automatically collect: • IP address • Browser type and version • Device type • Basic usage data (pages viewed, time on site, general location at a city/region level) This kind of data is used in aggregate to keep the site running smoothly and understand basic patterns, not to build profiles of individual visitors.
c) Information related to payment When you pay through Stripe, Stripe collects and processes: • Card details • Billing address • Email related to the payment • Time and amount of payment I do not see or store your full card number or CVV. I can see that a payment was made, the amount, the plan, and basic billing details necessary for records and communication.
3. How your information is used
Your information is used for a small set of clear purposes: 1. To respond to inquiries. When you email me, I use your email address and any details you provide to reply and continue the conversation. 2. To deliver your design work. If you become a client, I use your contact details and any content you share to plan, create, and send your social media design files. 3. To process payments and manage billing. I use Stripe to handle payments, see which plan you’re on, and keep basic records of what was paid and when. 4. To keep basic records for tax and compliance. Like any business, I keep records of invoices, payouts, and client details that are required for accounting and legal compliance. 5. To maintain and improve the website. Aggregated, non-identifying analytics may be used to understand how people interact with the site and ensure it works properly. I do not use your information to build behavior profiles, sell your data, or run ad campaigns.
4. How payments are processed (Stripe)
Payments are processed securely by Stripe, a third-party payment processor. When you pay through a Stripe Checkout or Payment Link: • Your payment details are sent directly to Stripe over an encrypted connection. • Stripe processes the transaction and then sends me confirmation that a payment was successful. • I do not store or have access to your full card number or security code. Stripe has its own privacy and data protection practices, which you can review in their privacy documentation. Your use of Stripe for payment is also subject to their terms and policies.
5. When information is shared
Personal information is only shared with a small set of third parties, and only when necessary: 1. Service providers • Website host (to serve the site and basic analytics) • Email provider (to send and receive messages) • Stripe (to process payments and manage subscriptions)
These providers only receive the information needed to perform their functions and are expected to handle it securely.
Legal or regulatory reasons • If required by law, court order, or regulatory request, I may need to share limited information with authorities or professional advisers (for example, accountants or legal advisors) to meet legal obligations.
I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information with third parties for their own marketing.
6. Data retention
I keep information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described above: • Basic client and billing records are generally kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws. • Emails and project files may be retained as long as they are relevant to ongoing or potential future work, unless you ask for them to be deleted where deletion is appropriate. • Basic website analytics may be retained in aggregated form.
If you are a client and would like to understand what information is held about you, or if you would like certain information deleted, you can email holden@theholden.ca and I will review what is possible within legal and operational limits.
7. Security practices
I take reasonable steps to protect personal information, including: • Using reputable, established third-party providers (such as Stripe and recognized hosting providers) • Using secure connections (HTTPS) for the website and payment pages • Limiting access to client information to the person actually doing the work and managing billing However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is perfectly secure. I cannot guarantee absolute security, but I do aim to keep the setup as simple and low-risk as possible.
8. Cookies and similar technologies
The website hosting platform may use cookies or similar technologies to: • Keep the site functioning (for example, remembering basic settings) • Gather basic, anonymized analytics You can usually control or disable cookies through your browser settings. If you disable cookies, some parts of the site may not function exactly as intended but should remain broadly usable. I do not personally run complex tracking scripts or sell cookie-based data.
9. Your choices and rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights such as: • Accessing the personal information held about you • Correcting inaccurate information • Requesting deletion of certain information • Objecting to or limiting certain types of processing If you want to exercise any of these rights or have questions about how your information is handled, email: holden@theholden.ca I will respond within a reasonable time and let you know what can be done in your specific situation.
10. Third-party links
The website or emails may occasionally link to other websites or platforms (for example, social media or external resources). Those sites have their own privacy policies and practices, which are separate from this one. I am not responsible for how those third-party sites handle your information. If you follow a link, you should review that site’s own privacy policy.
11. International considerations
Because tools like Stripe and common web hosting and email providers may use servers in multiple countries, your information may be processed or stored outside your home country. These providers are widely used and generally implement strong security and compliance practices. By communicating with me and using the site or Stripe payment links, you understand that your information may cross borders as part of normal internet and payment processing operations.
12. Changes to this policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in: • The tools and services I use • Legal or regulatory requirements • How the business operates When changes are made, the “Last updated” date at the top of this page will be revised. If the changes are significant, I may also highlight them in a brief note on the website.
13. Contact
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, contact: holden@theholden.ca