Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Hire-Step Solution ("Hire-Step," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares and protects information when you visit hire-step.com (the "Website"), receive our emails, use our services, or use any Hire-Step application that connects to Intuit QuickBooks Online or other accounting and business software (each, an "App"). By using the Website or an App, you agree to this Policy.
1. Information we collect
a. Information you give us
- Contact and assessment requests: your name, company, email, phone number, location, the services you're interested in, and your message.
- Client account information: details you provide when you engage us, such as business contacts, billing details and project information.
b. Information from QuickBooks Online and other connected software
When you or an authorized person at your company connects an App to QuickBooks Online, you sign in with Intuit and choose to authorize access. We never see or store your Intuit password. Depending on the permissions you grant and the features you use, the App may access:
- Company profile information (company name, address, fiscal settings).
- Accounting records such as the chart of accounts, customers, vendors, employees (names and contact details only), items, classes, locations and projects/jobs.
- Transactions such as invoices, estimates, bills, payments, purchases, journal entries, deposits and time activities.
- Reports such as profit and loss, balance sheet, accounts receivable and payable aging, and job costing.
- Connection tokens issued by Intuit that allow the App to access your data on your behalf.
We access only the data needed to provide the features you use. We do not access bank account login credentials or payment card numbers through QuickBooks.
c. Information collected automatically on the Website
- Visit statistics: pages viewed, approximate time on page, clicks on buttons, the referring website or campaign, device type, browser and country. We do this without advertising cookies and we do not store your IP address; each visitor is counted with an anonymous code that changes daily.
- Email engagement: if you receive an email from us, we may record whether it was opened and which links you clicked. When you click a link in our email and visit the Website, we may associate those page visits with your contact record for up to 90 days, using a value stored in your browser's local storage. You can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's site data.
- Security logs: limited technical information used to block spam and abuse of our forms.
2. How we use information
- To provide, operate and support our services and Apps, including bookkeeping, job costing, financial reporting, billing, forecasting, government contract compliance and technology services.
- To sync, analyze and display your accounting data inside the App and in reports we prepare for you.
- To respond to requests, schedule assessments and communicate with you about your account.
- To send business emails about our services. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link.
- To secure our systems, prevent fraud and spam, and comply with legal obligations.
- To improve the Website and our services using aggregated, non-identifying statistics.
We do not sell your personal information or your QuickBooks data. We do not use QuickBooks data for advertising, and we do not use it to train artificial intelligence models.
3. How we share information
We share information only as needed to run our business and provide the services you request:
- Service providers that host or process data for us under confidentiality obligations, such as our web hosting provider (Hostinger) and our email provider (Microsoft 365).
- Intuit, when the App reads or writes data in your QuickBooks Online company at your direction.
- People you authorize, such as your accountant, CPA or team members you ask us to share reports with.
- Legal and safety reasons, when required by law, subpoena or court order, or to protect rights, property and safety.
- Business transfers, if Hire-Step is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets; the receiving party must honor this Policy.
4. Connecting and disconnecting QuickBooks
You can disconnect an App from QuickBooks Online at any time, either from within the App or in QuickBooks Online (Settings ▸ Apps, or through your Intuit account's connected apps). When you disconnect, we stop accessing your QuickBooks data and the connection tokens are revoked and deleted.
After disconnection, we delete QuickBooks data held by the App within 30 days, unless you ask us to keep it for an ongoing engagement, or we must keep certain records to meet legal, tax or professional obligations. Reports and work papers we prepared for you under a service agreement are retained as described in that agreement.
5. How we protect information
- All connections to the Website and Apps use encrypted HTTPS (TLS).
- Access tokens and secrets are encrypted at rest, and stored data is kept outside the public web folder.
- Access is limited to authorized staff who need it to serve you, protected by strong passwords and login lockouts.
- We apply security headers, spam protection and the minimum permissions needed for each integration.
No system is perfectly secure. If we learn of a security incident affecting your information, we will notify you and, where required, the authorities, as required by law.
6. How long we keep information
- Website visit statistics: up to 400 days.
- Assessment requests and client communications: for as long as needed for the relationship and legal record-keeping.
- QuickBooks data: while the App is connected and as described in Section 4.
- Spam and security logs: up to 90 days.
7. Your choices and rights
- Email: use the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or contact us.
- Access, correction and deletion: you may ask us to access, correct, export or delete your personal information. Depending on where you live (for example, under the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act or similar state laws), you may have additional rights, including the right to appeal our decision. We will respond within 45 days.
- QuickBooks connection: disconnect at any time as described in Section 4.
To make a request, email dora@hire-step.com with the subject "Privacy request." We may need to verify your identity before acting on it.
8. Children
Our Website, services and Apps are for businesses and are not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
9. Where data is stored
We are based in the United States and store data with providers located in the United States or that protect it with equivalent safeguards.
10. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the new version on this page with a new effective date and, for material changes, notify clients by email or in the App.
11. Contact us
Hire-Step Solution
Email: dora@hire-step.com
Phone: (202) 359-5173
Website: hire-step.com