Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Business Exit Partners recognises the importance of your privacy and understands your concerns about the security of your personal information. We are committed to protecting any personal information that we hold. This Privacy Policy details how we generally collect, hold, use and disclose personal information and your rights in relation to the personal information that we hold about you.

When we deal with an organisation we may collect personal information about individuals who are employees, directors or principals of those organisations or their associates. If you are an organisation and you provide us with personal information about such individuals, or are otherwise aware that we have collected personal information about such individuals, we ask you to assist us by referring the relevant individuals to this Privacy Policy. Before you provide us with personal information about an individual that is sensitive information, you must ensure that you are authorised by the relevant individual to disclose that information to us.

Where this Privacy Policy refers to a party that may be either an individual or an organisation (such as our members or service providers), the reference includes individuals who are employees, directors, or principals of an organisation or its associates.

2. Personal information

‘Personal information’ is defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to mean any information or opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

The kinds of personal information we collect and hold

We collect and hold a range of personal information in carrying out our business and functions as an education, coaching, mentoring service provider or consultants. The kinds of personal information that we collect and hold about you will depend upon the nature of our relationship with you.

Our clients

We typically collect and hold the following kinds of personal information about our clients:

  • name, job title, and contact details;
  • communications between you and us;
  • financial information;
  • information about your areas of specialisation; and
  • other personal information that you provide to us (such as when you respond to an invitation to attend a seminar or function) or that we collect in the course of our relationship with you.

To the extent that it is relevant to the work we are undertaking for a client or our general relationship with a client, we may also collect and hold personal information about clients that is sensitive information under the Privacy Act. For example, we may collect health information about an individual, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, religious beliefs or affiliations or criminal records.

Our contractors, service providers, suppliers and job applicants

We typically collect and hold the following kinds of personal information about contractors, service providers, suppliers and job applicants:

  • name and contact details;
  • information contained in resumes;
  • educational details, academic and other transcripts, employment history, skills and background checks;
  • references from past employers and referees;
  • information collected during the interview or assessment process;
  • details of your performance under any contract; and
  • personal information required to make payments, such as bank account details.

We may also collect sensitive information contained within the sources set out above, such as membership of a political, professional or trade association or trade union, criminal records and health information.

Website users, online contacts and attendees at seminars and other functions

The amount and type of information we collect from you when you use our website or contact us online will depend upon your use of the facilities and services available through our website or otherwise available online. However, the only personal information which we collect about you when you use our website or contact us online is what you tell us about yourself, such as when you accept an invitation to attend a seminar or function, or complete one of our online forms, including through our marketing campaigns, or information you provide to us when you send us an email, and when you complete an online form or survey.

The kinds of personal information that we may collect through our website, online or when you register to, or attend a function include:

  • your name, contact details, business or employer details and job title; and
  • your areas of interest.

We may also collect and hold the following sensitive information about you:

  • health information (i.e. conditions affecting dietary requirements such as diabetes or food allergies);
  • personal information about you if you provide us with your business card or otherwise provide your personal information to us in person or contact us through social media (such as LinkedIn).

If you approach us for information we may record your name and contact details and collect additional personal information about you to verify your identity and consider whether to provide you with the information that you have requested.

Webinar and Event Recordings:
We may record webinars, seminars, or other events that we host. These recordings may include audio, video, chat, and Q&A contributions from attendees. Portions of these recordings, including participant interactions, may be made accessible as replay sessions or used for educational, operational, or promotional purposes. To respect participant privacy, only first names are used in replays when referring to interactions.

If you prefer not to have your interaction recorded, please refrain from participating in chat or Q&A. If you have concerns or questions about recordings, you may contact our Privacy Officer (contact details in Section 12) for more information.

3. How we collect personal information

In most instances, we will collect personal information directly from the person to whom the information relates, or the organisation of which that person is an employee, director or principal. However, we may also collect personal information about individuals from the following third parties:

  • our members and clients;
  • service providers;
  • parties to whom you refer us, including previous employers and referees;
  • recruitment agencies;
  • online searches; and
  • social media (such as LinkedIn and Facebook).

When we obtain personal information from third parties to whom you refer us, we will assume and you must ensure that you have made that third party aware that you have referred us to them and of the purposes involved in the collection, use and disclosure of the relevant personal information.

If you supply us with personal information about another individual, we ask you to assist us by referring that person to this Privacy Policy.

Webinars and Recorded Events:
In cases where you attend webinars or events that we host, personal information—including audio, video, chat messages, and Q&A responses—may be collected through the recording of the session. Attendees are notified at the time of registration and when joining the event that these sessions may be recorded and accessible to others.

4. How we hold personal information

We hold personal information in hardcopy files and in electronic form and take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We store hardcopy files in offices within access-controlled premises where access to files is appropriately limited. We may apply additional security measures limiting access to information about files or store files in locked cupboards or access restricted rooms as necessary or desirable based on our clients’ needs.

We store electronic records within our own secure network and through third-party data storage providers, which may include data centres located in Australia and internationally (such as in the United States and Europe). Personal information within our network is password protected, and access is appropriately limited. Our third-party providers, such as Microsoft 365, MailChimp, Xero, Stripe, and Zoom, use encryption and security protocols to ensure the safety of your data. We ensure that any cross-border transfers of personal information comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) and GDPR, where applicable.

Storage of Webinar Recordings

Recorded webinars, including any attendee contributions, are securely stored within our digital storage systems and are subject to the same data protection standards applied to other personal information. Access to recordings is limited to authorised personnel only, and we retain recordings to enhance our services, support educational content, or fulfil operational needs in line with applicable data protection laws and industry standards for data security and privacy. Recordings are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain necessary for business or legal purposes, and they are securely archived or deleted when no longer needed.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and tracking technologies, such as Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel, in line with applicable data protection laws and industry standards for privacy. These cookies and tracking tools are used to help us understand user behaviour, improve our website experience, and tailor advertising content, but users may adjust or opt out as described.

These tools are subject to user management and preferences, and you can adjust settings directly within your browser or via opt-out tools to control tracking on your device. You can manage your cookie settings via your browser or opt out using Google Analytics Opt-Out and Facebook Ad Preferences.

6. The purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, related purposes, and other purposes including:

  • providing our standard services and those services our clients request;
  • contracting out some of our functions to external service providers and suppliers (such as accountants, printers, carriers, mailing, photocopying, IT, advertising, marketing and campaign managers, market research and recruitment);
  • maintaining, managing and developing our relationship with clients and potential clients;
  • carrying out research, planning, service development, security and risk management;
  • marketing our services, administering and operating our online subscriptions and providing you with information about developments and other services that you have requested or that may be of interest to you;
  • the organisation of events;
  • assessing and considering applications from prospective employees, contractors and service providers;
  • developing and managing relationships with our employees, contractors and service providers;
  • managing insurance;
  • conducting further searches and enquiries regarding the information you have provided to us or more generally to collect additional personal information about you or your associates for our regulatory or prudential purposes;
  • complying with our legal and regulatory obligations; and
  • to otherwise carry out our functions as educators, coaches, mentors or consultants.

Event Recording and Replay:
Recorded webinars and events may be used for educational, promotional, or operational purposes. We strive to maintain participant privacy, limiting identifiable information wherever possible and only using first names during replays for clarity in participant interactions.

7. Direct marketing

If you are a member or client or have otherwise expressed interest and provided us with your contact details, we may send emails to you with information (such as publications, alerts and newsletters) and for marketing our services (such as seminar invitations).

We may use an “email management system” to automate the management and dispatch of these emails. The system operates by inserting tracking codes in the emails that we send to you. The tracking code allows us to collect personal information about you, such as whether you received and opened an email, and whether you clicked through to any links to our website. The personal information that the email management system collects and holds about you is used by us to:

  • ensure that you only receive correspondence that you have informed us that you wish to receive;
  • insert your personal information into our communications with you;
  • determine whether the information that we send to you is suitable for your interests, information needs and profile;
  • ensure that the email address that you have provided us is still operational;
  • determine whether emails that we send to you are received by you;
  • update a request that you make to us to unsubscribe from a publication that we send to you;
  • review the effectiveness and relevance of our emails to you by collecting other statistical information.

If you do not wish for us to send you such emails, please let us know by contacting our Privacy Officer at the details below. You can also unsubscribe from our email notifications by clicking on the ‘Unsubscribe’ button at the bottom of our email notifications and following the prompts or by emailing us by clicking the ‘Contact Us’ button.

8. Overseas disclosures of personal information

While we primarily store personal information within Australia, some of our third-party service providers may store or process data overseas, including in the United States and Europe. These providers include Microsoft 365, Mastermind Business Hub (Go High Level), MailChimp, Xero, Stripe, PayPal, and Zoom. While we select third-party providers based on their adherence to high privacy and security standards, we cannot be held responsible for independent actions or security practices of these providers once your data is processed by them. We regularly review our agreements with third parties to ensure continued compliance with applicable data protection laws.

Please note that personal information may be processed by third parties in providing our services, and while we contract with reputable providers, independent security practices of these third parties are outside our direct control.

9. How We Protect Your Information

We take data security very seriously and use third-party providers that implement industry-standard security measures to protect personal information. These measures include encryption in transit and at rest, secure data centres, and compliance with international privacy laws such as the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) and GDPR. Our providers, including Microsoft 365, MailChimp, Xero, Stripe, and Zoom, have robust data protection policies in place to prevent unauthorized access, loss, or misuse of your personal information.

10. Access to your personal information

You have a right to request access to personal information that we hold about you and request its correction if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. You may do so by contacting our Privacy Officer at the details below. We will respond to all requests for access to or correction of personal information within a reasonable period (usually 30 days).

In some cases, in accordance with the Privacy Act, we may charge you a fee for access to personal information we hold about you or refuse to give you access to personal information we hold about you.

11. Complaints

If you would like to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, you may contact our Privacy Officer at the details below.

We will respond to complaints within a reasonable period of time.

If you disagree with our decision, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by visiting www.oaic.gov.au, calling 1300 363 992 or by emailing enquiries@oaic.gov.au.

12. Privacy Officer & Changes To The Policy

If you would like more information about the way we manage personal information, would like to request access to or correction of personal information that we hold about you, or wish to make a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer by either:

Email: privacy@business-exit-partners.com.au;

Post: Attention “Privacy Officer” PO Box 2808, Ascot QLD 4007, Australia.

Changes to our privacy policy

From time to time it may be necessary for us to review and revise our Privacy Policy. We may notify you about changes to this Privacy Policy by posting an updated version on our website. We encourage you to check our website from time to time to ensure you are familiar with our latest Privacy Policy.

Our Privacy Policy was last updated on 30 October 2024

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Privacy Policy Addendum for Program Participants

This section applies exclusively to individuals participating in Business Exit Partners (BEP) Programs. By enrolling in a BEP Program, Participants agree to the collection, use, and protection of their data as outlined below, in addition to BEP’s general Privacy Policy.

Program Participant Data Collection and Use

  • Types of Data Collected: In addition to data collected through BEP’s website, BEP collects additional personal information from Program Participants, including:
    • Contact information (e.g., email, phone number).
    • Program participation records (e.g., attendance, session feedback, and progress).
    • Any additional data voluntarily shared by Participants during Program sessions.
  • Purpose of Collection: This data is used to provide, support, and enhance BEP Programs, ensure effective communication, and offer ongoing support to Participants.
  • Third-Party Data Processing: BEP utilises secure third-party platforms (such as Zoom, LinkedIn, and email providers) to facilitate Program delivery and communication. Each third-party provider operates under its own data protection policies, which BEP ensures are consistent with Australian data protection standards.

2. Participant Communication

  • By participating in BEP’s Programs, Participants agree to receive Program-related communications essential for service delivery. These communications may include updates about session schedules, Program changes, and related resources or materials.
  • BEP will communicate primarily through the contact information provided by Participants, using secure methods to safeguard data during transmission and storage.

3. Data Security and Retention

  • BEP stores Participant data securely, using industry-standard encryption and access controls for digital data, and locked storage for any physical records.
  • Participant data is retained only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined above and to meet any legal obligations. Data may be anonymised or deleted following the completion of the Program or upon the Participant’s request, unless otherwise required by Australian law.

This Addendum was last updated on 11 November 2024

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