Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Hexiss ("we," "our," or "us") operates the business readiness assessment platform at hexiss.com. We provide educational self-assessment tools for business owners planning to sell, transfer, or build succession plans for their businesses.

We are not a financial advisor, valuator, attorney, or broker. Nothing on this platform constitutes financial, legal, accounting, or valuation advice.

2. What We Collect

We follow a strict principle of data minimization — we collect only what is necessary, and we keep your identity separate from your assessment responses wherever possible. The information we handle falls into three distinct categories, each governed by your own choices.

1. Anonymous Assessment Data (Optional)

This is collected only if you explicitly consent to contribute your responses. It may include:

• A random Assessment ID
• The assessment version
• A timestamp
• Your question responses
• Your overall score
• Your risk band
• Time taken to complete

This information contains no direct personal identifiers. Your name and email address are never stored alongside anonymous assessment data. The random Assessment ID is not linked to who you are.

2. Contact Information (Optional)

This is collected only if you request a report or ask to receive future communication. It may include:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your marketing consent preference
• An Assessment ID
• Your overall score
• Your risk band

Your individual assessment responses are not stored with your marketing record. We retain only the summary needed to deliver and personalize what you asked for.

3. Anonymous Usage Analytics

To understand how the platform performs and where it can be improved, we collect aggregated, anonymized usage data such as:

• Pages visited
• Completion rates
• Device and browser information
• General performance metrics

This data is used to improve the platform and carries no personal identifiers.

We do not collect your business name, financial figures, revenue, or employee count. The assessment asks for your self-assessed responses to categorical questions, not actual numbers.

3. Research and Assessment Improvement

Hexiss is designed to improve over time, and the quality of the assessment depends in part on understanding how real owners answer it. You may voluntarily contribute your anonymous assessment responses to support that work.

Anonymous responses help us:

• Evaluate the quality of individual questions
• Improve how responses are scored
• Study the reliability of the assessment
• Identify questions that are confusing or unclear
• Improve future versions of the assessment

Participation is entirely optional. Declining has no effect on your results — you receive the same report either way. Anonymous responses are never linked to your name or email address.

4. Your Privacy Choices

There are two separate, independent decisions you can make, and neither depends on the other:

• Anonymous assessment contribution — whether your responses may be used to improve the assessment.
• Email communication — whether you'd like to receive your report or future updates by email.

Because these choices are independent, you may:

• Participate in research without providing an email address
• Provide an email address without participating in research
• Do both
• Do neither

You are always in control of which choices you make, and you can change them at any time by contacting us.

5. How We Use Your Data

We keep the two types of information apart, and we use each only for its own purpose.

Anonymous assessment data is used only for:

• Improving how responses are scored
• Reliability analysis
• Quality assurance
• Future validation of the assessment
• General assessment improvement

Contact information is used only for:

• Sending you the report you requested
• Providing follow-up you asked for
• Sending updates you specifically opted into

We never use marketing data for research, and we never use anonymous research data for marketing. We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or resale.

6. How We Protect Your Data

Privacy is built into the architecture, not added afterward. The core safeguard is separation: your personal identity is intentionally kept apart from your assessment responses wherever possible.

• Separate storage: Anonymous assessment data and contact information are held in separate databases (or separate collections), so identity and responses are not stored together.
• Access controls: Access to both is restricted on a least-privilege basis — only what is necessary, only for those who need it.
• Encryption in transit: All connections to hexiss.com are encrypted using TLS. We enforce HTTPS-only and do not allow unencrypted connections.
• Encryption at rest: Stored data is encrypted at rest.
• Minimal footprint: Because we collect so little and keep identity separate from responses, our exposure is intentionally small.

7. Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information. We do not license it, trade it, or share it with advertisers or data brokers, and we never share personal information for advertising.

Beyond that:

• Internal analysis: Anonymous assessment data may be analyzed internally to improve the assessment. Because it carries no personal identifiers, this analysis is not tied to any individual.
• Service providers: Providers (such as our email service, currently Mailchimp or ConvertKit) receive only the information necessary to perform their specific service — for example, an email address to deliver your report. They are contractually prohibited from using your data for their own purposes.
• Legal obligations: If required by law, court order, or valid governmental process, we may disclose data. We will notify you to the extent permitted by law.
• Business transfer: In the unlikely event of a merger or acquisition, your data would transfer to the successor entity under the same terms as this policy.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use a minimal set of cookies necessary to operate the platform:

• Session cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. Used to maintain your assessment progress if you navigate away mid-session.
• Analytics cookies: Anonymized usage data through a privacy-first analytics provider. No cross-site tracking, no advertising profiles, no fingerprinting.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies, social media tracking pixels, or behavioral tracking of any kind. You can disable cookies in your browser settings — this may affect session continuity but will not prevent you from using the assessment.

9. Your Rights

Regardless of where you are located, we honor the following rights over the personal information we hold:

• Right to access: You can request a copy of any personal data we hold about you.
• Right to deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information at any time. We will action this within 5 business days.
• Right to correction: If we hold incorrect information, you can ask us to correct it.
• Right to opt out: Every email we send includes an unsubscribe link. You can also opt out by emailing us directly.
• Right to portability: You can request your data in a portable format.

Because anonymous assessment data is not linked to your identity, we may be unable to locate or remove a specific anonymous record — there is nothing connecting it back to you. To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We do not require you to create an account or provide verification beyond your email address.

10. GDPR and CCPA Compliance

For EU/EEA residents (GDPR): Our legal basis for processing your email address, and for contributing your anonymous assessment responses, is your explicit consent — given separately for each — when you choose it. You may withdraw either consent at any time. We do not transfer personal data outside the EU/EEA without appropriate safeguards in place.

For California residents (CCPA): We do not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA. You have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, and to opt out of sale (which we do not engage in). To submit a CCPA request, email [email protected].

Given the minimal data we collect, our separation of identity from responses, and our no-sale policy, we believe our practices exceed the requirements of both regulations. If you have a specific concern, please reach out — we will respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

This platform is designed for business owners and professionals. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has submitted information through our platform, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. If we make material changes that affect how we handle your data, we will notify subscribers by email.

Hexiss may continue to use anonymous assessment data to improve future versions of the assessment, including reliability testing, benchmarking, and quality assurance. As the platform evolves, we will keep this policy current so it accurately reflects how Hexiss works.

Your continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.