• The Pharmacy Numbers Game (Part 1)—Inside the NHS Contract
    May 11 2025

    If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I working so hard and still not seeing the money?” — this episode is for you.

    In Part 1 of The Pharmacy Numbers Game, I pull back the curtain on the financial realities of being a pharmacy contractor in the UK. From Category M and clawbacks to the Drug Tariff and PPD statements, you’ll learn why understanding your numbers isn’t just helpful — it’s survival.

    Using real stories, including lessons, I explain how the NHS contract works (and why it’s often misunderstood), why Average Item Value is a trap, and how to avoid building your business on false forecasts.

    This is the episode I wish someone had given me in year one. If you’re serious about building a profitable pharmacy, press play — and get ready to see your business through a new lens.


    📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and follow @_BTCPodcast on social for updates.

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    24 mins
  • Beyond NHS Prescriptions — How Private Services Transformed Our Pharmacy
    Apr 27 2025

    What if survival in pharmacy wasn’t just about chasing NHS prescriptions?

    In today’s episode, I’m sharing the real story of how we moved beyond NHS dependency and built a sustainable income stream through private services, changing not only our cash flow but our entire business model.

    You’ll hear the honest lessons we learned: the mindset shifts, the early mistakes, the patient success stories, and how private services reshaped the future of our pharmacy.

    If you’re feeling the pressure of tighter margins, delayed payments, and growing costs, this episode will show you why private services aren’t just extra income — they can be a lifeline.


    🎧 Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.💬 Connect with me on social media at @_BTCPodcast — I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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    19 mins
  • Letting Go Saved My Business — The Truth About Delegating as a Founder
    Apr 13 2025

    What happens when doing it all starts doing you in?


    In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I’m sharing one of the hardest and most important lessons I’ve learned in business: letting go.

    I open up about the real cost of trying to control everything, from burnout and bottlenecks to missed opportunities and strained relationships. You’ll hear how we went from micromanaging chaos to building a leadership team that helped our pharmacies thrive — and the mindset shifts it took to get there.

    Whether you’re a pharmacy owner, entrepreneur, or just someone who struggles to delegate, this episode is packed with real stories, honest lessons, and practical tips on how to build a business that doesn’t revolve around you — and why that’s the best thing you can do for your growth.


    🗝️ In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Why trying to do everything yourself is dangerous for growth
    • How to build a strong, accountable leadership team
    • Why delegation isn’t abdication — it’s empowerment
    • Practical steps to start letting go (without losing control)
    • How I finally got my life back and scaled my business sustainably


    🎧 Tune in now and discover how letting go might just be the thing that takes your business to the next level.

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    14 mins
  • Scaling a Business Nearly Broke Me — Here’s What I Did Next
    Mar 30 2025

    Scaling a pharmacy business sounds like the dream — until it starts to feel like a nightmare.

    In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of what really happened when we expanded beyond our first community pharmacy. From the excitement of opening a second branch to the chaos that followed — team resignations, broken systems, profitability issues, and long weeks away from family — this is the honest story of how rapid growth nearly broke us.


    In this episode, you’ll hear:

    ✅ The early red flags when scaling a pharmacy

    ✅ The challenges we didn’t see coming — and how we responded

    ✅ The tough lessons from acquiring two more branches in Scarborough

    ✅ How we regained control through systems, structure, and strategy

    ✅ Why investing in yourself is critical if you want your pharmacy to grow


    Whether you’re an independent pharmacy owner or planning to scale your healthcare business, this episode is packed with real insight to help you avoid the pitfalls of growth and build a business that can thrive — not just survive.


    💊 If you’re growing your pharmacy or thinking about it — listen to this first.


    🔔 Don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.


    📲 Connect with us on social media: @_BTCPodcast

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    23 mins
  • Scaling My Business: How Customer Trust Fuelled Explosive Growth
    Mar 17 2025

    Want to grow your business but not sure where to start? The secret isn’t just in the numbers—it’s in customer trust.

    In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I share the real story of how I scaled my pharmacy business from one small branch to six thriving locations. Spoiler: it wasn’t through flashy ads or corporate budgets—it was through building trust, delivering personal service, and leveraging word-of-mouth marketing.

    Whether you’re running a pharmacy, starting a small business, or planning to scale, this episode is packed with practical lessons for sustainable business growth.


    🎯 In this episode, you’ll discover:

    • How I built unshakable customer trust from day one

    • The power of personal service (and why it beats the big chains every time)

    • Why word-of-mouth marketing is still your best growth strategy—and how to make it work

    • The biggest scaling mistakes I made and what I’d do differently

    • My step-by-step blueprint for sustainable business expansion


    🎧 Listen now to learn how to grow your business through trust, not tricks—whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale.


    📣 Join the conversation:

    What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while growing your business? Share your experience in the comments or DM me on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook @_BTCPodcast.


    ✅ Don’t forget to:


    👍 Follow for business insights

    🔁 Share this episode with an entrepreneur you admire

    Leave a review—it helps others discover the show!


    📌 #PharmacyBusiness #BusinessGrowth #CustomerTrust #Entrepreneurship #ScalingUp #IndependentPharmacy #BehindTheCounterPodcast


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    19 mins
  • I Wish I Knew This Before Running a Business – Hard Lessons From the Early Days of My Pharmacy Journey
    Mar 10 2025

    We all see the highlight reels of business success—big wins, major milestones, and the dream of freedom that comes with entrepreneurship.

    But what about the hard truths? The long nights, emotional stress, financial pressure, and personal sacrifices that rarely get talked about?

    In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I share the real, unfiltered story of what it’s truly like to run a business—specifically a pharmacy business in the UK—and the lessons I learned the hard way.


    🎙️ In this episode, I open up about:

    • The freedom I expected vs. the reality of business ownership

    • The financial, emotional, and mental costs of keeping my business alive

    • The mistakes I’d avoid if I could start again

    • Practical advice for anyone starting a business or scaling an existing one


    If you’re a pharmacy contractor, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this episode is for you. Whether you’re in the trenches or planning your next move, you’ll walk away with real insight, raw truth, and lessons that can save you time, money, and stress.


    🎧 Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Amazon Music.


    💬 Question for you: If you had to describe business ownership in one word, what would it be? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your perspective.


    🔁 Follow, share, and leave a review—your support helps this podcast reach more business owners like you.


    #BehindTheCounterPodcast #PharmacyBusiness #BusinessReality #EntrepreneurLessons #StartUpJourney #PharmacyOwner #SmallBusinessTruths #PodcastForEntrepreneurs

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    27 mins
  • No Business Loan, No Problem – How I Funded My Pharmacy Anyway
    Mar 4 2025

    Starting a business is exciting—figuring out how to fund it? That’s where the real pressure kicks in.


    When I opened my first pharmacy, I thought I had it all covered: savings, a solid budget, and a well-thought-out plan. But then reality hit—shopfitting costs soared, stock drained our account, and NHS payments were delayed for months.

    Before we even opened the doors, we were almost out of money.


    🎙️ In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I share:

    • The real costs of starting a pharmacy that no one talks about

    • How we used personal loans, family support, and savings to survive

    • The funding mistakes that nearly broke our startup

    • What I would do differently if I had to fund my pharmacy again today


    If you’re planning to start your own pharmacy—or any business—this episode will give you a real-world look at how to handle the money side of things, and the tough decisions you might need to make.


    💬 Have you struggled with funding a business? Share your experience—let’s keep the conversation going.


    🔔 Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode, and connect with me on Instagram @_BTCPodcast

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    22 mins
  • The Business Plan That Almost Ruined Everything – And What I Did Next
    Feb 23 2025

    Writing a business plan is one thing—making it work in the real world of pharmacy is another.

    When I opened my first pharmacy, I thought I had it all figured out. I had a business plan, revenue projections, and cost estimates… but the reality of starting a pharmacy business quickly exposed the gaps.

    In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I break down the mistakes I made in my first pharmacy business plan—and how I fixed them.


    🎯 You’ll learn:

    • Why my revenue projections were way off

    • How I underestimated costs and missed key competitor analysis

    • What I did to turn things around and keep the business afloat

    • Practical advice to help you build a realistic and adaptable business plan


    If you’re planning to start a pharmacy, or you’re already writing your business plan, this episode is packed with lessons that will save you time, money, and stress.


    🎧 Listen now and don’t forget to follow the podcast for more pharmacy startup stories, real-life business lessons, and behind-the-scenes insights.


    📲 Connect with me on Instagram @_BTCPodcast

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    14 mins