Advertising Disclosure

Our Commitment to Transparency

At Helm, we believe in being completely transparent about how we promote our services and any financial relationships that might influence the content you see on our website. This Advertising Disclosure explains our advertising practices and helps you understand when content may be influenced by commercial relationships.

We're committed to maintaining your trust by clearly disclosing any advertising arrangements, partnerships, or compensation we receive. This allows you to make informed decisions about the information you read and the services you consider.

Affiliate Relationships

What Are Affiliate Relationships?

Affiliate relationships exist when we earn a commission for referring customers to third-party products or services. If you click on certain links on our website and make a purchase, we may receive compensation from the merchant at no additional cost to you.

Our Approach to Affiliate Links

We maintain the following principles regarding affiliate relationships:

• Honest Recommendations: We only recommend products or services that we genuinely believe could be helpful to small businesses and startups, regardless of whether we earn commission
• Clear Disclosure: When content includes affiliate links, we clearly identify them so you know when a commercial relationship exists
• No Hidden Relationships: We don't disguise affiliate links or fail to disclose financial interests in recommendations
• Independence: Our opinions remain our own, and affiliate relationships don't influence the core advice we provide in our consulting services
• Value First: We focus on providing helpful information, not pushing products for commission

How This Affects You

When you use an affiliate link:

• You pay the same price as you would through any other channel
• Your purchase may result in a small commission for us
• This commission helps support our business but doesn't influence our recommendations
• You're under no obligation to use affiliate links if you prefer not to

Sponsored Content and Partnerships

Sponsored Content Policy

From time to time, we may publish content that is sponsored by or created in partnership with other businesses. This might include:

• Sponsored articles or blog posts
• Paid product reviews or features
• Case studies funded by third parties
• Educational content supported by sponsors

How We Handle Sponsored Content

When we publish sponsored content, we:

• Clearly Label It: Sponsored content is always marked with clear labels such as "Sponsored," "Paid Partnership," or "In collaboration with"
• Maintain Editorial Control: We retain control over the final content to ensure it meets our quality standards and provides genuine value
• Disclose Compensation: We're transparent about receiving payment or other compensation for featuring content
• Focus on Relevance: We only accept sponsorships for products or services relevant to small business owners and startups
• Preserve Independence: Sponsored content is separate from our core consulting services and recommendations

Brand Partnerships

We may form partnerships with other businesses that align with our mission of supporting small businesses. These partnerships are disclosed when relevant, and we maintain our commitment to providing honest, helpful information regardless of any commercial relationship.

Third-Party Advertising

Display Advertising

Our website may display advertisements from third-party advertising networks. These advertisements help support our business and allow us to provide free content and resources.

How Third-Party Ads Work

Third-party advertising on our website operates as follows:

• Ad Networks: We may work with advertising networks that display relevant ads to our visitors
• Behavioural Targeting: Some ads may be targeted based on your browsing behaviour, using cookies and similar technologies
• Ad Preferences: You can typically adjust your ad preferences through your browser settings or ad network controls
• No Endorsement: The appearance of an advertisement doesn't constitute our endorsement of the advertised product or service

Advertising Standards

We maintain standards for advertisements appearing on our website:

• Ads must comply with applicable advertising laws and regulations
• We don't knowingly allow misleading or deceptive advertisements
• We reserve the right to block ads that don't meet our standards
• Advertisements are clearly distinguishable from editorial content

Data Collection for Advertising

Cookie Usage

We and our advertising partners may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Deliver relevant advertisements based on your interests
• Measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
• Understand how visitors interact with our website
• Prevent fraud and maintain security

For more detailed information about how we use cookies for advertising purposes, please see our Cookie Policy.

Your Privacy Rights

You have control over advertising-related data collection:

• You can adjust cookie preferences through our cookie management tools
• You can opt out of personalised advertising through browser settings
• You can use ad-blocking software if you prefer
• You have rights under data protection laws regarding your personal information

User Rights and Controls

Advertising Preferences

You have several options for managing advertisements:

• Cookie Settings: Adjust your cookie preferences to limit advertising tracking
• Browser Controls: Most browsers allow you to block third-party cookies or all cookies
• Ad Network Opt-Outs: Many advertising networks offer opt-out tools for personalised advertising
• Do Not Track: We respect browser "Do Not Track" signals where technically feasible

Opting Out of Personalised Ads

If you prefer not to receive personalised advertisements:

• Visit the cookie management section on our Cookie Policy page
• Adjust your browser privacy settings to limit tracking
• Use industry opt-out tools like the Digital Advertising Alliance's choice page
• Note that opting out doesn't stop all advertising, just personalised targeting

Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

Under UK data protection law, you have rights regarding data collected for advertising purposes, including the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal information. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

FTC Compliance and Standards

We comply with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements and advertising disclosures, as well as UK advertising standards. This means:

• Material connections between us and advertisers are clearly disclosed
• Endorsements and testimonials reflect honest opinions and experiences
• Claims about products or services are substantiated
• Advertising content is truthful and not misleading
• Disclosures are clear, conspicuous, and easy to understand

We take these obligations seriously and work to ensure our advertising practices meet or exceed regulatory requirements.

Content Authenticity

Editorial Independence

We maintain a clear separation between advertising and editorial content:

• Our core consulting advice is not influenced by advertising relationships
• Reviews and recommendations are based on genuine assessment
• We don't allow advertisers to control editorial content
• Financial relationships don't compromise our integrity or independence

Honest Assessment

Whether content is sponsored or not, we strive to provide accurate, helpful information. Our goal is to support small businesses with honest guidance, and we believe this requires maintaining trust through transparent practices.

Questions and Feedback

We value transparency and want you to feel confident about the information you receive from us. If you have questions about:

• Specific advertising relationships or sponsorships
• How to manage advertising preferences
• Whether particular content is sponsored
• Our advertising practices in general

Please don't hesitate to contact us. We're happy to provide additional information and clarification.

Changes to This Disclosure

We may update this Advertising Disclosure from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes:

• We'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Significant changes will be announced on our website
• We encourage you to review this disclosure periodically

Your continued use of our website after changes indicates acceptance of the updated disclosure.