Who AM I and how to contact ME
I'm a freelance engineer according to §18 Abs. 1 Nummer 1 EStG Germany (TAX identification number: DE358559810). You can get in touch with me in the following ways:
By email: engineering@sergeychertkov.com
Through this website: sergeychertkov.com
About this privacy policy
This policy sets out how I use and share the information that you give me. This privacy policy relates to personal data collected by me via:
My website
Email correspondence
Telephone calls
Social media
Enquiring about contracting my services
Providing products or services to me
You should be aware that if you go to third party websites (including those of my Affiliates), using links provided on my websites, these websites are outside my control and have their own privacy policies. Please take time to read those when you visit a site. I do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies.
What information I collect about you
I collect information about you when you register with me, subscribe to my newsletter, comments my blog posts or request one of my services. I also collect information about you when you voluntarily provide feedback or mention my name in your own promotions or materials.
This information may include:
Your name, contact details and the organisation/ business you work for
Information generated by the work, service or relationship I have with you: your business details, bank and financial details, communication and correspondence
Information generated by visiting my website or engaging with me on social media
How I collect information about you and how I will use it
I may collect and process information that you provide during your correspondence with me. This could be, but not limited to, one of the following ways:
Giving information directly to me by methods including filling in the contact form on my website or via other media
Subscribing to my newsletter
Requesting any of my services or information
Communicating with me through e-mail and telephone
I only use your personal information when the law allows me to. Most commonly, I use your personal information in the following circumstances:
Where you have given consent for me to process your information
Where I need to perform the contractual obligations I have entered into with you personally or with the business you are working for or with
And for one or more of the following purposes:
To manage our relationship and administer my art business as part of our contract with you
To carry out a request
Sending you marketing and information about my art business and services via email if you consented to it
Sharing your information
I will not share your information with anyone who is not contracted to work on your project other than with the relevant authorities if I have reason to believe that you may be involved in activity that may be illegal under German law.
The information shared about you with people who work for me will be limited to what they need to know to carry out their duties and responsibilities.
International Transfer of Data
I only transfer information where necessary for the performance of a contract between us or for pre-contractual steps to be taken at your request.
My website is built on a platform developed, and hosted, by Squarespace, a US-based company. Please see below for more information about them and the steps they take to protect personal information.
Your choices in relation to personal information
It is important that the personal information I hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep me informed if your personal information changes during your relationship with me. You also have the rights and choices which you can exercise on the data we hold on you.
You have the right to:
Obtain access to your personal information
Withdraw consent, including opting out of my email marketing at any time
Ask me to correct any errors or delete the information I hold,
Object to or restrict my processing of your information.
For more information or to action these rights, please contact me on contact@helenshulkin.com
Retention and destruction of personal information
I will take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the information I hold about you. I will not use your personal information unless it is (to the best of our knowledge) accurate and up to date.
I will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes I collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying German tax accounting requirements.
My current retention schedules are as follows:
Financial records – 10 years after the end of the relevant tax period
Other client/ supplier records, including contact details and email correspondence – 2 years after my last contact from you
Enquiry records (people who did not subsequently become clients) – 6 months after my last contact from you
Where I have an ongoing working relationship with you and/or you have consented to receiving information from me, I will retain information beyond these timescales for the effective management of my contract and communication.
Other issues I want to make you aware of
I take the security of your information and your privacy seriously. I use certain programmes and third party apps to help me manage my business effectively and efficiently. I have chosen each of these carefully and work only with those I am satisfied have the same high standards and commitment to security as I do; I am satisfied that each of them take proactive steps to meet the required international privacy laws, including EU GDPR. I share details of these below.
Visitors to MY website
My website is built on a software platform called Squarespace. It is also hosted by them. You can read more about the way they ensure site users’ privacy is protected under EU Data Protection laws here:
Squarespace and GDPR
Squarespace Privacy Policy
When someone visits my website I use Google Analytics and Squarespace Analytics to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. I do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. I do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting my website. You can find out more about all of this here:
Squarespace Analytics
Google Analytics and Squarespace
Google Privacy Policy
Use of cookies
I use cookies, small pieces of data that websites store on a device, to help my website run effectively and to provide the best experience for my site visitors. Some of these are functional and required cookies that allow visitors to navigate around the website. Others are analytical and performance cookies. You can find more information here about the cookies in use on my website.
You are in control of cookies and so this article also describes how you can change your settings. You can also find out more about cookies on these two websites If you want further information about cookies on these two websites www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org
Invoicing
In future I will track, manage and account for all my outgoing client invoices using FreeAgent. You can find a link to their privacy policy here.
Dropbox
I use Dropbox to share information with clients, suppliers and internally. You can find their privacy policy here.
Changes to this policy
I may change the terms of this privacy policy from time to time. I will keep it under annual review to make necessary and reasonable changes. I will make changes outside of this in the event of a significant change in the law.
March 2023