You'll have to trust someone!  If you have a website at all you will have to trust someone but there are considerations.

Even if you get a local developer, a national company or someone you know; whoever they are they will have to have access to the back end of your website and all your customer data.  They could fall out with you for whatever reason and walk away with your customer data or worse!

There are a number of comapnies out there where it you may want to ask 'what is their motive and long term strategy'?  A wholesaler offering an app? Mmmmmm?  A large chain offering websites or POM / private doctor services? Mmmmmmm?

We have taken a different approach.  We will never make money from offering websites for the price we do - £99 per year for a website with all the functionality of a major high street chain!  We intend to be commercially viable by helping independents join forces and harness the network.  We already work with NPA board members, ICCA members, Aimp members, CCA etc. etc. and enjoy word of mouth recommendations.  Simply put our entire business is over, toast, if anyone feels we have threatened their business or customers in any way.  Our reputation is everything in independent pharmacy - we are proud of it and it has taken a long time to establish it - and would disappear immediately if we were stupid.

Our whole business model is transparent - you own your customers - anyone who looks at how we do it sees that, the moment anyone orders anything it updates in realtime.  You see your customers data in your administration system and can download and export at the press of a button.  It is in out terms and conditions and has been checked by hundreds and hundreds of pharmacy businesses already, including big independent chains and national newspapers.  But there's no more reassurance than an entire business dependent on something as fundamental as customer protection in a sector as close as independent pharmacy!