Privacy Policy

Last updated October 20, 2026. This is a plain-language policy. If you have questions, email hello@shopsmallbusiness.com.

Who we are

ShopSmallBusiness.com is operated by Caffeine Group, Santa Barbara, California ("we"). This policy explains what information the site collects, what we do with it, and your choices.

What we collect

If you list a business

Business name, owner's name, city and state, website, what you sell, your description and story, optional photos and video links, and a contact email. Everything except the contact email is published on your listing page; that is the purpose of the listing. The contact email is kept private and used to review your listing and contact you about it.

If you sign up for the shopper email

Your email address, and the fact that you signed up as a shopper.

If you support the site

Payments are processed by Stripe. We receive your name, email, the amount, and the business you're supporting. We never see or store your card number. Stripe's handling of your data is covered by Stripe's privacy policy.

Automatically

Our web server keeps standard access logs (IP address, browser, pages requested, time) for security and troubleshooting. We do not run advertising networks or advertising trackers, and we do not sell data to anyone.

Cookies

The site sets a session cookie needed for forms to work and to prevent spam. If we use analytics, it is to count visits and see which pages are read, not to follow you across other sites. We do not use advertising cookies.

Third parties

• Stripe for payments.
• Google Fonts for the typeface, which means your browser requests the font files from Google.
• YouTube or Vimeo when a listing embeds a video; those players set their own cookies when you play a video.
• Our email provider to send the weekly email and listing notifications.

Each of these has its own privacy policy. We share only what is needed for the service to work.

How long we keep it

Listing information stays published until you ask us to remove it or we remove it. Shopper signups stay until you unsubscribe. Server logs are kept for a limited time and then deleted. Payment records are kept as long as the law requires.

Your choices and rights

• Unsubscribe from the shopper email at any time using the link in any email, or by writing to us.
• Edit or remove your listing by emailing hello@shopsmallbusiness.com from the contact address on file.
• California residents have rights under the CCPA to know what personal information we hold about you, to ask us to delete it, and to not be discriminated against for exercising those rights. We do not sell personal information. To exercise these rights, email hello@shopsmallbusiness.com.
• Anyone can ask what we hold about them and ask us to delete it. We will respond within 30 days.

Children

The site is for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16. If you believe we have, email us and we will delete it.

Security

The site is served over HTTPS. Access to listing and signup data is limited to the people who run the site. No system is perfectly secure; if we learn of a breach affecting your information, we will tell you.

Changes

If this policy changes in a way that matters, we will update the date at the top and, for significant changes, email listed businesses and subscribers.

Contact

hello@shopsmallbusiness.com, or Caffeine Group, Santa Barbara, California.