Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

BizMart ("we," "our," or "us") operates a comprehensive business marketplace platform that connects buyers and sellers of businesses, provides AI-powered business valuations, analytics insights, and professional advisory services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services. By using BizMart, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We collect information you provide directly to us, including:

• Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
• Account credentials and authentication information
• Business information, financial data, and listing details
• AI valuation inputs (business descriptions, revenue, expenses, operational details)
• Communication preferences and inquiry history
• Payment information (processed by Stripe, our payment processor)
• Profile photos and business images
• Messages and communications through our platform
• Subscription preferences and billing information
• User intent (buying, selling, owner, broker) and onboarding responses

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information about your device and usage:

• IP address, browser type, and operating system
• Device identifiers and mobile network information
• Pages visited, time spent, scroll depth, and click patterns
• Search queries, filter selections, and listing interactions
• Referral sources and UTM parameters
• Geolocation data (with your permission)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies
• Session recordings and user journey analytics

2.3 Analytics and Behavioral Data

We use advanced analytics to improve our services and provide insights:

• User engagement metrics (time on page, scroll depth, click rates)
• Search behavior and listing viewing patterns
• High-intent actions (valuation requests, contact attempts, multiple listing views)
• Conversion funnel progression and drop-off points
• Lead quality scoring based on behavior and profile data
• Session replay data for user experience optimization

2.4 AI and Machine Learning Data

Our AI-powered features collect and process:

• Business valuation inputs and assessment results
• Public business information gathered for valuation accuracy
• Market intelligence and comparable transaction data
• Business reputation scores and review sentiment analysis
• AI response logs and model performance metrics

2.5 Third-Party Information

We may receive information from third parties, including:

• Social media platforms (Google, Facebook) for authentication
• Business verification services and credit reporting agencies
• Marketing partners and advertising networks
• Public databases and business directories
• Search engine results for business verification
• Payment processors (Stripe) for transaction data
• Email service providers (Resend) for delivery analytics

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Provide, operate, and maintain our marketplace platform and AI services
• Process transactions, manage subscriptions, and facilitate business sales
• Generate AI-powered business valuations and market assessments
• Send automated valuation reports and business insights via email
• Verify user identity and prevent fraud
• Send notifications, updates, and promotional materials
• Respond to customer service requests and inquiries
• Analyze usage patterns and improve our services
• Provide personalized recommendations and content
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms
• Conduct market research and gather business intelligence
• Facilitate secure communications between users
• Score leads and prioritize sales follow-up activities
• Track conversion funnels and optimize user experience
• Provide analytics dashboards and business insights
• Customize content and advertising based on user behavior

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 With Other Users

When you create a business listing, certain information becomes visible to other users, including business details, contact information (if you choose to display it), listing photos, and plan type badges. Premium and Analytics Pro subscribers may have enhanced visibility features.

4.2 Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who assist us in:

• Payment processing and subscription management (Stripe)
• Data storage and hosting services (Supabase)
• Email delivery and communication services (Resend)
• Analytics and performance monitoring (Mixpanel)
• AI and machine learning services (OpenAI)
• Search engine data access (SERP APIs)
• Customer support and help desk services
• Identity verification and fraud prevention
• Content delivery networks and security services

4.3 AI and Machine Learning Processing

Your business information may be processed by AI services to provide valuations and insights. We use secure, privacy-compliant AI providers and do not share personal data beyond what's necessary for service delivery. AI processing logs may be retained for service improvement.

4.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal process or government requests
• Protect our rights, property, or safety
• Prevent fraud or illegal activities
• Enforce our Terms of Service
• Protect the rights and safety of our users
• Respond to regulatory inquiries or investigations

4.5 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Security measures include:

• End-to-end encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Multi-factor authentication and access controls
• Employee training on data protection practices
• Incident response and breach notification procedures
• Secure payment processing through PCI-compliant providers
• Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures
• Third-party security certifications and compliance monitoring

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, local storage, and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage, deliver personalized content, and track user journeys. You can control cookie settings through your browser, but disabling cookies may limit some functionality.

Types of tracking technologies we use:

• Essential cookies for basic site functionality and authentication
• Analytics cookies to understand user behavior and optimize services
• Preference cookies to remember your settings and personalize content
• Marketing cookies for targeted advertising and lead attribution
• Session storage for temporary data during your visit
• Local storage for offline functionality and performance optimization

7. Subscription and Payment Data

If you subscribe to our premium services, we collect and process subscription-related information:

• Subscription plan type (Basic, Premium, Analytics Pro)
• Payment method and billing information (processed by Stripe)
• Subscription status and renewal dates
• Usage analytics for subscribed features
• Billing history and transaction records
• Cancellation and refund requests

Payment processing is handled by Stripe, which has its own privacy policy and security measures. We do not store credit card information on our servers.

8. Email Communications

We send various types of email communications using Resend as our email service provider:

• Automated business valuation reports with detailed analysis
• Listing notifications and updates
• Account verification and security alerts
• Subscription confirmations and billing notices
• Marketing communications (with your consent)
• Customer support responses

You can opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in each email. Transactional emails (such as valuation reports and account notifications) are necessary for service delivery.

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access: Request access to your personal information and data processing activities
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Restriction: Request limitation of processing for specific purposes
• Objection: Object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications and analytics tracking
• Data Subject Rights: Exercise rights under GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable laws

To exercise these rights, contact us at avril@successionadvisory.ca.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements:

• Account information: 7 years after account deletion
• Valuation data: 5 years for analysis and improvement purposes
• Transaction records: As required by financial regulations
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized after 2 years
• Marketing data: Until you opt out or request deletion
• Support communications: 3 years for quality assurance
• AI training data: Anonymized and used for model improvement

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States where our servers and service providers are located. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, and certifications such as Privacy Shield successors.

12. AI and Automated Decision-Making

We use AI and automated systems for various purposes, including business valuations, lead scoring, and content personalization. You have the right to:

• Know when automated decision-making affects you
• Request human review of automated decisions
• Understand the logic behind AI-driven recommendations
• Opt out of certain automated processing where technically feasible

13. Children's Privacy

BizMart is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will delete it immediately and terminate the associated account.

14. Third-Party Links and Services

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or integrations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our platform.

15. Business Intelligence and Market Research

We may use aggregated, anonymized data for business intelligence, market research, and industry reporting. This helps improve our services and provides valuable insights to the business community. Individual users cannot be identified from these aggregated analyses.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on our website, updating the "Last updated" date, and sending email notification for significant changes. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

17. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

18. Regulatory Compliance

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with applicable privacy laws worldwide, including:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - European Union
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) - California, USA
• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) - Canada
• Other relevant data protection regulations in your jurisdiction

We regularly review and update our practices to ensure ongoing compliance with evolving privacy laws and regulations.