Dentists Who Invest Podcast

Dr. James Martin

Official Podcast of the Dentists Who Invest platform. Talking all things investing, money and finance with a dental spin. Have you ever wondered how you can grow your wealth and protect your hard earned money as a Dentist? We've got you covered. Featuring famous guests such as Andrew Craig, Edward Zuckerberg and Benyamin Ahmed we delve deep into EVERY aspect of finance to educate and empower ALL Dentists.

  1. 3d ago

    0 To 20 Dental Practices - Here's How I Did It with Dr. Ashkan Pitchforth [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— Twenty dental practices sounds like a headline, but the real story is the unglamorous set of decisions that make scale possible. Dr. Ashkan Pitchforth joins us to explain how a UK dentist goes from a first acquisition to a multi-site dental group, without relying on hype or shortcuts. We talk candidly about the early trade-offs: keeping cash inside the business, living modestly, and staying focused on solutions instead of getting stuck on problems.  A big part of the conversation is dental practice finance. Ash breaks down how he used rapid performance improvement to release equity, what happens when a bank says no, and why switching lenders can unlock growth when covenants and leverage limits tighten. We also dig into how banking changes once you move past roughly 12 to 15 sites, where you start needing corporate-level structure: CFO thinking, forecasting, HR processes and clean compliance that protects you from nasty surprises later.  Then we get into what many owners overlook: the NHS as a strategic advantage when you understand it properly. Ash shares his acquisition criteria centred on NHS contracts and predictable monthly income to ensure debt serviceability. He explains how he learned the rules well enough to move contracts and win tenders, including the humility of stepping into an NHS dental adviser role to learn how commissioners think. Finally, we tackle recruitment and retention, and the therapist-first direct access skill mix model that flips the usual approach so dentists do higher-end work and therapists handle the routine flow, creating a steadier, more satisfying system for the whole team. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    0 To 20 Dental Practices - Here's How I Did It with Dr. Ashkan Pitchforth [CPD Available]
  2. Jul 16

    Is Commercial Property A Good Investment In 2026? with Alasdair Irvine [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— Commercial property has been the missing piece on our podcast for far too long, so we brought in chartered surveyor and long-time investor Alasdair Irvine to give you a clear, practical foundation. If you’ve ever wondered why some investors swear by UK commercial property investment while others stick to shares, pensions and buy-to-let, we lay out the real mechanics: what your return is made of, how leases shape risk, and when property genuinely earns its place in a portfolio. We get specific about rental yield versus capital appreciation, and why commercial property can look steadier than equities day to day even though it is not as liquid. Alasdair explains how borrowing can boost return on equity when the deal stacks up, and we pressure-test the assumptions so you can think in net cashflow terms rather than headlines. We also tackle the residential versus commercial debate, including why repairs and ongoing costs can quietly crush buy-to-let returns, and why full repairing and insuring (FRI) leases often shift responsibility back to the tenant in the commercial world. Then we zoom out to what’s hot for 2026 and beyond: how risk appetite changes the yield you should expect, why “retail is dead” is an oversimplification, and what has driven industrial property’s standout performance since 2020. We also touch on the office market’s post-Covid reset and what quality and demand look like now. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    Is Commercial Property A Good Investment In 2026? with Alasdair Irvine [CPD Available]
  3. Jul 13

    The £100K Profit Gap Your Dashboard Isn't Showing You with Dr. Barry Oulton and Shishir Khadka [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— A practice can be turning over seven figures and still feel like it’s one bad month away from trouble. That’s not a motivation problem and it’s not a “work harder” problem. It’s financial visibility. We dig into the hidden £100k net profit gap that sits between what your accounts report and what you actually need to know to make decisions week to week, from tax planning to hiring to investing back into the business. Barry shares the reality of being an accidental business owner: brilliant at dentistry, less confident with P&Ls, and often forced to make calls based on old information. We talk about why annual accounts are inherently retrospective, how that pushes you into “rear-view mirror” management, and why scaling needs a future number that scares you and a plan that works backwards. You’ll hear real examples of what changes when dentists finally know their break-even point and KPIs, and how that confidence shows up in both profitability and quality of life. Then Shashir gets practical on the question dentists ask all the time: “Why do I have profit but no cash?” We break it down into cash flow forecasting, keeping today’s cash intact while planning future outflows, and avoiding over-leverage when you are growing fast. We also cover dental practice benchmarking so you can spot overspend in staff costs, lab fees, materials and overheads, plus why tracking treatment mix by margin matters more than chasing high production values. Finally, we tackle associate profitability and how transparent data can improve trust, performance, and negotiation. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    The £100K Profit Gap Your Dashboard Isn't Showing You with Dr. Barry Oulton and Shishir Khadka [CPD Available]
  4. Jul 10

    UK Principals: How To Become As Tax Efficient As Possible with Chris Lonergan [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— That shiny new surgery, refit, extension, or “we had to do it for compliance” upgrade might be doing more for HMRC than it’s doing for you. We’re joined by Chris Lonergan, a tax consultancy director with deep construction and quantity surveying experience, to unpack how UK dental principals can be far more tax-efficient with property spend, legally, using capital allowances that HMRC expects to see claimed. We talk through why dental practice premises are often a huge slice of personal and business wealth, and why missed relief hits cash flow at exactly the moment you need it for financing, recruitment, equipment, and growth. Chris explains capital allowances in plain language, the difference between plant and machinery allowances and structures and buildings allowance, and the types of “integral features” that are frequently overlooked, from electrical systems and HVAC to fitted cabinetry, security, and access equipment. You’ll also hear why timing matters: what to do before you complete a property purchase, when to bring in specialist support during a build or refurbishment, and how delayed claims can reduce how quickly you can use the relief. If you’ve spent serious money on a fit-out in the last few years, or you’re planning one now, this conversation gives you a practical framework to ask better questions and protect your returns. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    UK Principals: How To Become As Tax Efficient As Possible with Chris Lonergan [CPD Available]
  5. Jul 7

    Profitability In Your Dental Practice: Myth or Reality? with Dr. Chetan Mathias [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— Your diary can be fully booked and your practice can still be quietly losing ground. We recorded this live at the Business of Dentistry Conference in Birmingham with Dr. Chetan Mathias, a seven figure dentist and practice owner who has spent years helping UK dentists install simple systems that improve profitability without compromising care. We get practical about KPIs for dental practices and why so many principals and associates avoid them: no training, fear of what you’ll find, and the worry that tracking turns patients into revenue units. Chetan flips that on its head and argues that the right numbers actually protect ethics, because they stop you making desperate choices when cash gets tight. You’ll hear the six “vital signs” he uses to understand practice health with minimal effort: new patient numbers and where they come from, case acceptance rate, production per hour, overhead percentage, patient retention, and team engagement through employee NPS. Along the way we dig into real examples, from wasted Google ad spend that should have been redirected into referrals, to small consultation tweaks that lift conversion, to diary restructuring that restores hourly output, and overhead leaks like clinical waste costs that quietly balloon. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    Profitability In Your Dental Practice: Myth or Reality? with Dr. Chetan Mathias [CPD Available]
  6. Jun 29

    Here's How to Reduce Your Dental Indemnity Fee with Adam O'Keeffe [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— Your indemnity renewal lands and the number looks bigger than last year, so the obvious question is: are you paying more for the same thing, or paying for protection you can actually rely on? We sit down with Adam O’Keeffe from AllMed Pro Insurance Specialists to translate the confusing bits of dental indemnity into plain English, so UK dentists can make sharper decisions at renewal time. We talk through why renewals peak around July, August and September, why indemnity premiums often rise quickly in the first years after qualification, and how claims trends and claims costs feed into pricing. Then we move past the headline quote and into what really determines value: 24/7 access to dental legal advice, whether you can get claims occurrence cover, and whether your policy has contract certainty with clear terms and conditions and the safety net of the Financial Ombudsman Service. The most important comparison is discretionary cover versus insurance-backed cover, plus the often-misunderstood world of claims-made policies. We explore what happens if a complaint arrives years after treatment, how retirement and runoff cover fit in, and why vicarious liability means a law firm may pursue multiple parties, including the practice. Adam also shares a practical checklist of extras that can matter when things escalate, including contingent cover when switching provider and PR and reputation protection if a story reaches the press. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    Here's How to Reduce Your Dental Indemnity Fee with Adam O'Keeffe [CPD Available]
  7. Jun 26

    Ltd Co Vs Sole Trader In 2026 with Amman Sarkaria [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— The “go limited at £X” advice gets repeated so often that it starts to sound like a law of nature, but for UK dentists it can be a costly shortcut. We sit down with specialist dental accountant Amman to map out what actually changes when you move from sole trader to limited company, and why the best choice depends on how you earn, how you spend, and what you are building towards. We start with the plain-English foundations: a sole trader’s profits flow straight into personal tax, while a limited company pays corporation tax first and then you decide how to pay yourself through a director salary and dividends. That opens up planning around National Insurance, dividend tax, and the timing of withdrawals, plus the idea of retained earnings that can stay inside the company for future plans. We also dig into the admin reality in 2026, including Making Tax Digital and why the “limited equals more paperwork” gap is shifting. Then we get practical. We share three lenses to make the decision: your career path (including NHS versus private work and the NHS pension), your personal situation (outgoings, mortgage plans, partner income, student loan), and your investing goals and risk appetite. Two worked examples show how a younger private associate can benefit from sheltering profits for long-term investing or a practice purchase, while an NHS-heavy dentist close to retirement may be better off staying self-employed. We finish with commonly missed tax-deductible areas, from electric cars and benefit-in-kind to use of home and protection policies, with plenty of caveats on doing things properly. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    Ltd Co Vs Sole Trader In 2026 with Amman Sarkaria [CPD Available]
  8. Jun 22

    How To Make Your Dental Practice Exit Stress-Free with Maja Thompson [CPD Available]

    Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout. Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/ ——————————————————————— UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club ——————————————————————— If you think selling a dental practice is just about getting the biggest number, this conversation will challenge that fast. We are joined by Maja Thompson from Henry Schein, who works across practice sales and valuations at scale and has seen the real human cost behind once-in-a-lifetime exits. We talk honestly about the emotional whiplash sellers face, from the long build-up to the moment the deal completes, and the unexpected void that can appear when your identity has been tied to ownership for decades.  We dig into what makes an exit smoother years before you ever go to market: planning purpose, setting realistic expectations, and building a life you actually want after the sale. On the business side, we explore practical drivers of dental practice valuation, including diversifying revenue streams across NHS, private, plan income and more, and reducing how dependent the practice is on the principal’s own clinical output. We also get tactical about measurement: chair utilisation, white space, and why “you master what you measure” is a real edge when you are trying to improve profitability and stability.  Then we demystify dental practice due diligence, including what buyers check, why the timeline can drag on for months, and the hidden deal-breakers that trip sellers up. Property and lease length, building compliance, funding alignment, and the realities of CQC registration transfer all matter, and each can slow completion if you leave it too late. ——————————————————————— Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance. Send us Fan Mail

    How To Make Your Dental Practice Exit Stress-Free with Maja Thompson [CPD Available]

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Official Podcast of the Dentists Who Invest platform. Talking all things investing, money and finance with a dental spin. Have you ever wondered how you can grow your wealth and protect your hard earned money as a Dentist? We've got you covered. Featuring famous guests such as Andrew Craig, Edward Zuckerberg and Benyamin Ahmed we delve deep into EVERY aspect of finance to educate and empower ALL Dentists.

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