GDPR or the General Data Protection Regulation of the EU. Sounds like a dry bureaucratic topic that you would rather ignore. And honestly: it can be a bit annoying.

But unfortunately, you can't get around it, especially if you work with customers, implement websites, or write invoices. 

As soon as you process personal data, it's important to know what you are allowed to do and what you are not. This gives your customers trust, creates a professional impression, and naturally also secures you. 

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about the GDPR to set up your workday securely regarding data and protect your customers. 

And the best part: If you use Proyex, many GDPR requirements are already directly integrated. You have to pay less attention to it yourself and can focus on your projects.

What is the GDPR and why does it concern you? 

Basics of the GDPR 

Since May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been a law of the European Union aimed at protecting individuals from having their personal data collected, stored, or shared uncontrollably.

This means that when processing personal data, such as names, email addresses, payment information, etc., you must adhere to certain rules. The GDPR requires you to process data in a transparent, secure, and fair manner, so that data protection is not accidental, but a standard. 

Why data protection is so important for your business

The GDPR is an important foundation for professional work. 

• You work with trust. Your customers give you their sensitive data. 

• You bear great responsibility and are simultaneously the boss, project manager, and data protection officer.

• You use many tools. Zoom, Notion, CRM systems, accounting tools, all of which process data.

If you set up data protection correctly, you are not only legally secure but also appear more credible, structured, and trustworthy. Once you have implemented it correctly, much of it operates almost automatically. 

Which data is affected? 

The “personal data” referenced by the GDPR includes all information that can directly or indirectly identify an individual. This usually includes the following data:

• Name, address, email

• Phone number

• Payment data

• IP address

• Location data

• Content from contact forms or applications

• Project information, notes, screenshots containing personal content

Therefore, you are responsible if you maintain a customer list or receive forms from your customers. You need to know what to pay attention to when storing data further.

Implementing GDPR easily in your business

Integrating the GDPR into your daily work is much less complex than it may seem at first glance.

We show you in three simple steps how to implement it quickly and efficiently in your processes.

👉 Step 1: Everything your privacy policy needs

Any website that collects personal data needs a privacy policy. Your customers want to know what happens to their data. The GDPR requires you to make this transparent. 

Contents of the privacy policy

The privacy policy should explain which of your customer’s data you store and why. It must also include how long you will store the data and whether you share it (e.g., with third parties). It should be clear and complete so that your customers can understand it. 

💡Tip: Keep the privacy policy short and understandable without unnecessary complexity.

Placement on your website

The privacy policy should be clearly visible. You can link it in the footer of your website or in the footer area. Some tools also provide an automatic pop-up message on the first visit that points the user to the link. 

If you create your own customer pages or customer portals with Proyex, you can directly place your own imprint and privacy policy there. You do not need any additional plugins and directly fulfill the legal requirements for your pages. However, you must provide the content yourself. 

👉 Step 2: Customers, tools, and contracts 

There are important contractual agreements for working with your customers, such as the data processing agreement (DPA), which ensures that your work remains compliant with the GDPR.

More on the topic of DPA and templates can be found here: "Understanding and Using Data Processing Agreements (DPA)."

Data processing agreement (DPA) 

The DPA is necessary when processing personal data, regardless of whether it pertains to a website, customer portal, or similar projects. 

Proyex can assist you and provide you with this contract if needed. This protects you from legal issues and ensures a regulated process in data protection. 

External tools: Proyex as a GDPR-compliant alternative 

With many tools like Google, Asana, and others, the topic of data protection is somewhat more complex. This is primarily because these providers are based outside the EU, such as in the USA, which has more stringent GDPR requirements. It often requires additional contracts, such as standard contractual clauses, and special notes in your privacy policy. 

With Proyex, you are on the safe side. As a German company with servers located in Germany, the tool meets the GDPR requirements from the ground up, as your customers' data remains within the European legal framework. You do not need additional contracts and have no further effort. 

This is how you implement data protection cleanly in your customer projects  

If you directly address data protection in your offers and contracts and make clear how you work with sensitive data, you remain transparent and build trust with your customers. How you easily involve customers in projects to keep everything transparent can be found here: Involving Customers in Projects – Here’s How with Proyex.

Explain in your offers that you only use GDPR-compliant tools and work with a DPA regarding personal data when using Proyex. You can refer to the fact that your customers' data is only stored on servers within the EU and that you maintain data sovereignty. This means that Proyex does not use your customers' data for advertising purposes or share it with third parties. By emphasizing that you only use your customer data for the agreed purpose and that access rights are clearly regulated, you keep your customers already on the safe side. 

Ideally, you should integrate all this information into your offer documents or general terms and conditions, preferably in clear, understandable language so that your customers can immediately grasp what it’s about.

👉 Step 3: Handle data securely and structured 

When regularly processing sensitive data, you not only need the required expertise but also a clear structure in your daily work to document the data properly.

Protecting personal data in daily life 

Whether names, email addresses, or project information, all this data must be securely stored, and you need to keep track of where you store it and who has access to the data. 

Generally, the rule is: Store only as much data as necessary and for as short a time as possible. Particularly with sensitive customer data, you should not work with open sharing links but rather specifically control who can see what.

💡Tip: Regular backups, secure passwords, and two-factor authentication will further support you in handling personal data in compliance with the GDPR and securely.

Tools and setups that make your life easier 

Proyex is a project management tool that does not treat data protection as a sideline.

"Why Proyex is the better choice when working with customers", read here. 

The tool is on your side regarding data protection and saves you unnecessary stress. 

Because your customers' data does not leave the EU, it is easier to meet the requirements of the GDPR. 

Additionally, Proyex helps you with: 

• Managing access rights - you decide who sees what 

• concluding the data processing agreement 

• Setting up your customer pages including individually linked imprint and privacy policy

• Maintaining data sovereignty - you can export or delete data at any time 

Without further external tools or workarounds, you already have many of the data protection requirements integrated into a well-set system. 

Common mistakes regarding the GDPR

Small mistakes happen all the time, especially with a bureaucratic topic like the GDPR. It is often underestimated that even a simple contact form function requires a legally secure statement. 

We show you the most common mistakes regarding the topic so that you can avoid them directly in the future. 

❌ Incomplete privacy policy 

A clear and complete privacy policy is essential, even for small websites or simple contact forms. Without it, you are legally liable and lose the trust of your customers.

❌ No DPA with tools 

Just as important as the privacy policy is the data processing agreement when using tools that store personal data. This can already include newsletter providers, for which the DPA is required. 

❌ Insecure data sharing 

Sharing data via WhatsApp, unencrypted emails, or through open links poses a high risk. You lose control and cannot guarantee that the data remains protected. 

❌ No overview of data and access rights 

Who stores what? Where is the data located? Who is allowed to access it? You need a clear structure and control over your data management to comply with the GDPR. 

More on the correct organization of customer projects can be found here: "How to Organize Customer Projects in a Tool – Without Chaos".

✅ Your GDPR Checklist 

☐ Integrate privacy policy

🔶 Partially possible in Proyex
→ On website and customer portal, clearly understandable, up to date

☐ Sign DPA contracts

✔ Fully included in Proyex
→ With all service providers and tools that process personal data

☐ Are the tools used GDPR-compliant?

✔ Proyex is fully GDPR-compliant, hosted in the EU.
→ Check everything and replace if necessary

☐ Regulate access rights

✔ Invite customers and teams to Proyex and specifically release rights.
→ Access only for those who really need it

☐ Observe data minimization

🔶 Proyex helps you keep track of customer data.
→ Do not collect too much data that you do not actually need

☐ Ensure secure storage

✔ Fully included in Proyex
→ HTTPS, strong passwords, two-factor authentication

 ☐ Set up regular backups

✔ Automatic backups in Proyex
→ So that nothing is lost in case of an emergency

☐ Regularly check & delete customer data

🔶 Partially in Proyex: manual deletion possible
→ Only store what you really need

☐ Enable data export and deletion

✔ Fully possible in Proyex
→ Create transparency and respect customer rights

☐ Do not use insecure shares

✔ Fully integrated in Proyex
→ Do not use open links and unencrypted emails

Bonus Check: Use Proyex

If you choose Proyex from the beginning, you will have already fulfilled many of the points on the checklist. The remaining points are, however, significantly easier to implement. 

Proyex thus relieves you of much of the effort. Nevertheless, you remain responsible and must, of course, secure yourself properly. 

Conclusion: GDPR? No stress with the right strategy and Proyex 

Even if the GDPR may initially seem bureaucratically overwhelming, with the right understanding and suitable tools, data protection becomes a simple and secure foundation for your business. You strengthen your customers' trust, protect your projects, and work professionally and securely. 

Proyex helps you implement many of these requirements directly. It saves you time, allowing you to focus on your projects and ensuring that you are legally on the safe side. 

Try Proyex for free now and experience how easy GDPR-compliant work can be!