Privacy Policy

At Business Link, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information in accordance with the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FOIPPA”), Federal Privacy Act and Canada’s Anti Spam Legislation, and Bill C28. This privacy policy (“Policy”) outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our services or interact with our website.

Collection of Personal Information

• • Business Link may collect your name, email address, and contact details when consent has been provided or implied. We collect this information to communicate with you and provide tailored support.
  • In the event that you contact us for support through the website, telephone or in person. Business Link may request that you provide additional information relevant to the support requested by you. Users are under no obligation to provide such information. Business Link does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties. 
  • If you have provided express consent, Business Link may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you.
  • Using cookies, we may collect information about how you use our website, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, content downloaded, and other usage data. This data is collected to help us improve our website and services, as well as serve tailored digital ads. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies.
  • We may disclose your information when required by law or to protect our rights or the rights of others.

Confidentiality

• • We understand the trust you place in us when you share your personal and business information. Our team members are committed to client confidentiality. We maintain high standards of integrity and security to protect your sensitive information.
  • To honor this trust, we strictly adhere to confidentiality protocols and comply with all relevant privacy laws and regulations. Our team is trained to handle your information with the highest level of discretion and professionalism.

Retention & Disposal of Information

Business Link and our “Service Providers” (for the purposes of providing and supporting the “Site” and other services offered by us), may store or disclose your personal information outside of Canada in accordance with the “FOIPPA” regulations. In certain circumstances, we may need to disclose your personal information to our “Service Providers” in order to facilitate the operation of the “Site,” our databases, e-mail marketing software or for processing payment transactions. In some cases, these “Service Providers” may reside outside of Canada. Before any personal information is disclosed to our “Service Providers,” they must contractually agree to collect, use, store, access and protect the personal information in a manner that is consistent with our privacy policies and in compliance with “FOIPPA.”

Business Link may retain “Personal Information” only for as long as it reasonably requires that “Personal Information” for business or legal purposes. Business Link manages the information it collects in accordance with Alberta government records retention schedules and other legislative and policy requirements. Business Link’s record retention and destruction policies require the destruction of “Personal Information” when it is no longer required for business or legal purposes.

Consent

By accessing and using the “Site,” you acknowledge that Business Link is collecting (either directly or indirectly through its “Service Providers”) information, including personal information, relating to your access to and use of the “Site.” Any such “Personal Information” collected directly from you is collected under section 26(c) of “FOIPPA” for the purposes set out above. You consent to the indirect collection of any such “Personal Information” by Business Link, and to the storage and disclosure of that personal information inside or outside of Canada for the purposes set out above. Your consent is effective on and after the date of information collection and does not expire unless revoked by you in writing. Wherever possible, and wherever required by applicable law, we seek your explicit consent before these activities occur. At any time, you may request that we stop communicating with you by either updating your user profile or contacting us directly.

Withdrawal of Consent

If you would like to request the deletion of your information, please reach out to us at marketing@businesslink.ca. Please note that while we will make every effort to accommodate your request, we may need to retain certain information as required or permitted by law.

You always have the option not to provide us with “Personal Information.” Your decision to not consent to the use and disclosure of your “Personal Information” will not impair your ability to browse the “Site.” However, it may limit your ability to use certain features of the “Site.” To opt-out of Google, please refer to the currently available opt-outs provided by Google Analytics. For newsletter opt-out, you can click the “Unsubscribe” link located at the bottom of the newsletter.

Link Policy

The “Site” provides links to external third-party websites offering information on small business-related products and services. These sites may be operated by other government agencies, non-profit organizations, or private businesses. Business Link does not control the content of these external websites, nor is it responsible for the “Personal Information” collected by or privacy practices of these sites. We encourage users to review the “Policy” of external websites before submitting any “Personal Information.” It is important to note that Business Link’s “Policy” applies solely to information collected on our “Site” and through our services.

Account Registration

The use of the Interactive Business Plan Builder requires registration of an account. By registering for an account and providing your email address on the “Site” or any companion site, you are consenting to receive communications from Business Link regarding the Interactive Business Plan Builder and your account.

When you register for an account, we will collect the following information: your full name, email address, business name, country, province, city, and chosen password. We will use your contact details to send you a confirmation email, communicate with you in response to your inquiries, and send you communications related to the Interactive Business Plan Builder. We will not use your contact details to send you marketing communications unless you opt for such communications.

Additionally, if you register for an account, we will collect information about your use of the services. This information is used to deliver services to you and enhance your experience.

Processing Payment

Business Link may, from time to time, offer certain paid resources on the “Site,” including, without limitation, events, webinars, or workshops. If you engage Business Link for any paid resources, your credit card information is processed by our payment processing provider, Eventbrite, in order to process payments for your orders. Business Link itself does not collect your payment information. Certain payment information may be available through the Eventbrite account held by Business Link, but all such information is held in strict confidence. Please view our Cancellation Policy for more information.

Disclaimer

Business Link may, from time to time, review and revise its privacy practices and Terms, including our “Policy.” As noted above, your continued use of the Website shall be deemed to be your conclusive acceptance of any modifications to the Terms, including the “Policy.”  If you have any questions or concerns about this “Policy” or our data practices, please contact us at marketing@businesslink.ca.