Hot Black Ink

Business Prospecting Privacy Notice

Last updated: 1 November 2026

This notice explains how Hot Black Ink uses business contact details when we contact businesses that might benefit from our design and marketing services. It adds to our main Privacy Notice.

Who we are

Iain Thompson t/a Hot Black Ink, Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA, is the data controller. Contact: hello@hotblackink.com. ICO registration: applied for (application reference C2074486); our registration number will be added here once issued.

What we collect

For each business, we record only what we need:

  • the business name, type and town
  • the website address
  • a published generic contact email (such as info@ or hello@)
  • the business's legal form (for example, limited company)
  • one note about something we saw on its public website
  • the date we checked and where we found the details

We do not collect personal email addresses, home addresses or personal social media profiles. We do not buy marketing lists.

Where the details come from

We take the details from public sources: the business's own website, and public registers such as Companies House and the Irish Companies Registration Office.

Why we use them, and our lawful basis

We send a short, relevant email to the business about our services, such as our Local Visibility Audit. Our lawful basis is legitimate interests (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Our interest is offering a relevant service to businesses. We have assessed that this is balanced against your interests because:

  • we use only published business addresses
  • the content relates only to your business
  • we send no more than one email and one follow-up
  • every email lets you opt out

We email only incorporated businesses (such as limited companies and LLPs) at generic addresses. We do not send unsolicited marketing to sole traders or partnerships without their consent. Our emails contain no tracking pixels.

Sharing

We use our email and website providers only to send and store messages. We do not sell or share prospect details with anyone else.

How long we keep it

If you do not reply, we delete your details within 6 months of our last email. If you ask us to stop, we keep only your email address on a suppression list, so we never contact you again. If you become a client, our main Privacy Notice applies.

Opting out and objecting

Reply "unsubscribe" to any email, or write to hello@hotblackink.com. We stop straight away. You have an absolute right to object to direct marketing.

Your rights

You have the right to:

  • access your data
  • correct it
  • have it erased
  • restrict how we use it
  • object to its use
  • data portability, where it applies

To use any of these rights, email hello@hotblackink.com.

Complaints

You can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113). If you are in Ireland, you can complain to the Data Protection Commission (dataprotection.ie). We would appreciate the chance to deal with your concern first.