Do you remember the 1971 movie Dirty Harry, and this iconic scene?
Harry Callahan says: I know what you’re thinking. ‘Did he fire six shots or only five’? Well to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I kind of lost track myself. But being that this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well do ya, punk?
I keep getting asked by business owners how will they know if I comply with GDPR? How will they find out? The truth is “they” the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) may not find out…for now.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) “Data Ready Mitigating the Impact of Data Protection Regulation on Small Businesses” report (published February 2018):
- Just under one in five (18%) of small businesses are unaware of the GDPR.
- One-third (34%) of smaller businesses are aware of the GDPR but have little understanding of its requirements.
- 35% of micro-businesses (1-10 employees) have not started preparations for the GDPR.
If you are still sitting on the fence, and undecided whether to start or not, consider this:
- Your clients, customers, patients or prospects will start getting savvy about their rights, start asking you empowering questions about what you do with their information, and as a result report you, or take legal action against you if you’ve infringed on their rights!
- Your suppliers: For those of you who have business relationships with larger organisations. If they haven’t already, they will be looking to review ALL relationships with suppliers ensuring they are complying with the new law. Non-compliance would mean losing your lucrative contract.
Yes, you could be conservative with the ‘truth’…some call this lying by omission. However, if you get caught, the penalties may be serious – up to 4% of your previous year’s annual turnover or 20 million euros, whichever is the greater.
As Harry says near the end of his famous monologue – “Do I feel lucky?”
Well, given you’ve read down to this part of the post, today is your lucky day!
If you’re confused, overwhelmed and don’t know where to start with your GDPR project, take action now, and book a free 30-minute consult and get clarity on what your focus should be. Click the “Book Now” button below.