Every business which handles personal data must comply with the new General Data Protection Regulations which come into effect on 25th May 2018. Getting to grips with what is required can be daunting and it can be difficult to know where to begin, so we thought we would compile the first steps to help you get started: 1. Make sure key decision makers in your organisation know that GDPR is coming. 2. You will need to document what type of personal information you hold, where it came from and who you share it with. It is likely that your business will be audited on this later. 3. It would be wise to review your current privacy notices and plan for any changes which need to be made in time for GDPR implementation. 4. Check your current procedures to ensure they cover all the existing rights people have, including – and this is very important – how you evidence the deleting of personal information. 5. Plan how you will handle requests for information. 6. Check how you elicit, record and manage consent given to keep personal information on your records. Update any existing consent forms to ensure they meet the new GDPR standards. 7. Check you can document how your business would handle a breach of confidentiality. 8. Familiarise yourself, and key decision makers, on the latest GDPR guidance. 9. Designate a senior member of staff to be responsible for GDPR implementation, and ideally add a second name too, in case of a change of staff. If your company is large, you may even need a Data Protection Officer. 10. Above all, please do not ignore GDPR. It’s a legal requirement for businesses to comply. Cheshire Accountants Afford Bond are currently preparing and updating all client data in line with GDPR guidelines and will be fully compliant by the GDPR deadline on 25th May 2018. Afford Bond have offices in Nantwich, Wilmslow and Chester – our key competences are accounts, audit, taxation, payroll and corporate finance and we see constant overlap in the delivery of these services demonstrating the need for qualified and experienced advisors.