Data protection, in plain English
You don’t need a legal department to get this right. You need someone who knows the rules, tells you the truth, and helps you get on with running your business. That’s what I do.
I’m a named data protection officer for SMEs — outsourced, qualified, and refreshingly straightforward. No jargon, no scare tactics, no day-rate surprises. Just clear advice and the published prices to back it up.
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Why most SMEs avoid this (and why that’s a problem)
Data protection has a reputation problem. It’s either treated as a tick-box exercise that nobody understands, or it’s sold by consultancies who quote you a project fee, hand over a 60-page policy pack, and disappear.
Meanwhile, the obligations are real. A subject access request lands and you’ve got a month to respond. A supplier suffers a breach and you’re in the chain. A client’s procurement team asks for your data protection policies before they’ll sign. And the ICO expects you to actually be doing the things you wrote down.
Most small and medium businesses don’t need a full-time DPO. But they do need access to one — someone who picks up the phone, knows their business, and gives a straight answer.
How dponesto is different
You get a name, not a logo. You’ll work with me directly. No account managers, no offshore ticket queues, no being passed around. You know who’s responsible for your data protection, because it’s a person you can reach.
Published pricing. Every service on this page has a price you can see before you get in touch. No “request a quote,” no anchoring, no negotiation games. If you can’t afford to be transparent about your own fees, you’ve no business advising anyone on transparency.
Plain English, always. I’ll explain what you actually have to do, why it matters, and what happens if you don’t — in language you can repeat to your team without a glossary. Where the law is grey, I’ll tell you it’s grey and help you make a sensible call.
Right-sized. Most providers sell you the same heavy programme whether you’re a 5-person agency or a 200-person manufacturer. I start with where you are and what you’re exposed to, then recommend the lightest service that actually covers you.
Four ways to work together, depending on how much support you need.
1. Health Check
One-off assessment. Fixed fee.
A clear, honest picture of where you stand. I review how you handle personal data, where the gaps and risks are, and what the ICO would expect to see. You get a prioritised action list — what to fix now, what can wait, and what you’re already getting right.
Best for: businesses that want to know where they stand before committing to anything ongoing, or that need to satisfy a client or insurer that they’ve done the groundwork. From £450
2. Advisory
Ad-hoc access. Pay as you go.
You handle the day-to-day yourself, but you want a qualified DPO on call for the moments that matter — a tricky subject access request, a contract clause you’re not sure about, a DPIA on a new system, a “can we actually do this?” question before you launch something.
Best for: businesses with someone capable in-house who just needs expert backup, without the cost of a full retainer. £90 per hour ( or £750 for a block of 10 hours)
3. Retained DPO
Your outsourced DPO. Monthly retainer.
The full function, handled for you. I act as your named data protection officer: registered as your point of contact, on hand for breaches and subject access requests, keeping your policies and records current, supporting staff training, and giving you a regular review so nothing drifts. When a client’s procurement team asks who your DPO is, you have an answer.
Best for: businesses that have ongoing data protection obligations but no reason to hire a full-time specialist. From £550 per month
4. Fractional DPO
Embedded support. Set days each month.
A step up from the retainer for businesses that need someone closer in — higher-risk sectors, more complex processing, or a phase where data protection needs real attention (a system migration, an acquisition, a new product). I work as part of your team for an agreed number of days a month, with the same fixed, published cost.
Best for: larger SMEs or higher-risk operations that need hands-on involvement, not just oversight. From £950 per month
How it works
- Free intro call. Thirty minutes. You tell me what you’re dealing with, I tell you honestly whether you need me and which service fits. No pitch.
- Pick a service. Published price, clear scope. You know exactly what you’re getting and what it costs.
- Get started. For a Health Check, I get to work. For ongoing support, we agree how we’ll work together and I’m available from day one.
Still not sure which you need?
That’s what the free call is for. Tell me a bit about your business and I’ll point you to the right service — even if that turns out to be “you’re fine, you don’t need me yet.” I’d rather tell you that than sell you something you don’t need. Retainers run on a rolling monthly basis so you’re never locked into something that isn’t working.