Family offices provide some of the most flexible, high-speed lending available to property investors and business owners, and most people never get near one.

In this episode of Next Level Finance, I sit down with Jamil, Managing Partner of Ploutos Associates, to unpack exactly how family office lending works, who it's for, and how entrepreneurs are using it to scale property portfolios and business acquisitions.

We cover Jamil's journey from Azerbaijan to running a 16-year-old family office, the real story behind rescuing distressed property developers, why Germany is one of the biggest property opportunities in Europe right now, and how one entrepreneur turned a £10 million factory purchase into a £28 million exit using a data centre power supply deal.

If you're a property developer, investor, or business owner looking at alternative finance, bridging, HMO conversions, title splits, or M&A leveraged buyouts, this episode breaks down how the funding side of the market actually thinks.

Ploutas Capital

⏱ CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro – What this episode covers

0:29 What is a family office?

0:57 How Ploutos Associates structures its lending model

3:23 Jamil's journey from Azerbaijan to the UK6:15 Leaving employment to become an entrepreneur

8:04 Building a family office from scratch

10:03 Scaling from a one-man operation to a full team

12:26 Biggest business challenge #1: Brexit

15:24 Biggest business challenge #2: COVID

18:07 AI in lending: the risks and the hallucination problem

21:26 Why data centres are the next big real estate opportunity

22:00 Case study: £10M factory to £28M data centre exit

25:00 Case study: the HMO entrepreneur who now owns 42 properties

27:08 Case study: unlocking value through title splitting

30:05 How family offices rescue stuck property developers

34:01 M&A and leveraged buyouts explained simply

37:04 How Jamil decides which entrepreneurs to back

39:40 Adding value beyond just lending money

43:25 Dealing with difficult clients (and why relationships matter)

45:07 Where the opportunities are now: AI, hospitality conversions, commercial

49:31 Why Germany is the biggest opportunity in Europe right now

53:09 The tax structuring mistakes costing developers millions

55:40 Ploutos Associates' future plans

57:00 Lending against gold, crypto, and luxury assets

58:55 Final thoughts

He sold his structural engineering business for seven figures, helped peer-review the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, retired in his early 40s... and then found himself sat on a beach Googling "depression."In this episode of Next Level Finance, Zee Razaq sits down with Ritchie Clapson — founder of Property CEO, one of the UK's largest property development training companies — for a raw, honest conversation about success, failure, mental health, and what actually builds long-term wealth.Ritchie opens up about the blowout spending after his first exit, a business partnership that nearly cost him everything, the moment his wife told him to get help, and how that low point eventually led him to found Property CEO. We also dig into practical property tax and structuring mistakes entrepreneurs make, the "who not how" philosophy, and his outlook for property entrepreneurs in 2026.

🔗 Connect with Richie:LinkedIn: Ritchie ClapsonWebsite: propertyceo.co.uk

Get your hands on Ritchie's Property Development Playbook:

https://propertyceo.co.uk/nextlevel

📌 What you'll learn in this episode:Why sudden wealth and "no purpose" can trigger depressionThe real story behind Richie's Olympic Stadium project involvementHow a failed business partnership nearly wiped him outWhy he chose to pay back every creditor even without a personal guaranteeThe "true purpose" exercise that led to founding Property CEOCommon tax and legal structuring mistakes property developers makeHold vs. sell: the debate on building long-term wealth through propertyHis outlook for entrepreneurs and property development in 2026⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 – Cold Open: "I Googled Depression"00:34 – Welcome to Next Level Finance with Richie Clapson01:27 – The London 2012 Olympic Stadium Project03:22 – Selling the Business for Seven Figures03:54 – Retiring in His Early 40s05:02 – The Blowout: Cars, Boats, and a Big House06:58 – Investing in a Friend's Construction Business09:07 – When the Business Partner Disappeared10:31 – Paying Back Every Creditor (Even Without a Guarantee)12:34 – Realizing Something Was Wrong14:03 – The Beach, the Google Search, and the Doctor15:24 – "You'll Feel Better Anyway" – Getting Help17:15 – What the Hard Times Taught Him19:05 – Starting Property CEO in 201920:01 – Finding His "True Purpose" at a Mindset Weekend24:40 – Knowing Your "Why" as an Entrepreneur26:21 – Mentoring vs Teaching: The Difference28:01 – Bringing Out the Entrepreneur in Others29:07 – The 10x More, 10x Less Philosophy30:23 – Pain vs Gain: What Drives People to Take Action34:39 – Helping Students Through Depression and Neurodiversity41:01 – "I've Never Not Masked" – A Student's Story45:27 – Richie's Three Books Explained48:00 – Who Not How: Leverage and Delegation52:12 – Knowledge vs Judgment in the Age of AI53:54 – Building a Family Legacy in Business56:18 – Building Relationships: Why Meeting in Person Matters1:00:07 – Property Unfiltered: The New Show with John Howard1:02:46 – Entrepreneurship and Agility in 20261:04:15 – The Hold vs Sell Debate in Property Development1:12:33 – Common Tax Mistakes Property Entrepreneurs Make1:15:07 – Capital Allowances and VAT Pitfalls1:16:24 – Why Hybrid Group Structures Cost You Money1:19:41 – Building the Right Team: Accountant, Lawyer, Broker1:21:04 – Life After Property CEO: What's Next for Richie1:23:45 – Where to Find Richie Clapson💬 Whether you've been through something similar or you're just starting your entrepreneurial journey, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.👍 If you found this valuable, please like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more in-depth conversations with property and business entrepreneurs.⚠️ This video includes discussion of mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a healthcare professional or a support service in your area.

🎙️ NEXT LEVEL FINANCE PODCAST | SERIES 3 EPISODE 3HMRC investigations are increasing, and many business owners have no idea how exposed they really are.In this episode of the Next Level Finance Podcast, Zee sits down with Stuart from Vantage Fee Protect to discuss how HMRC investigations actually work, why tax enquiries are becoming more common, and what entrepreneurs, landlords, and company directors can do to protect themselves.Learn more about Vantage Fee Protect here: https://www.vantagefeeprotect.com/Drawing on more than a decade of experience supporting accountants and defending taxpayers, Stuart reveals how HMRC's increasing use of digital systems, AI, VAT compliance checks, and worldwide income investigations is changing the landscape for UK businesses.The discussion covers real-world HMRC cases, including a professional sportsperson who faced a £125,000 tax assessment that was ultimately reduced to just £5,000 after expert intervention.In this episode, we discuss:• Why HMRC enquiries are increasing in the UK• How tax investigation insurance and fee protection work• HMRC's powers and what business owners need to know• VAT investigations and why refunds are increasingly scrutinised• Foreign income and worldwide tax disclosure enquiries• How AI is changing tax compliance and investigations• The importance of specialist support during an HMRC enquiry• Real-life examples of successful HMRC defences• Why accountants and entrepreneurs need stronger protection than ever00:00 Introduction00:26 Meet Stuart From Vantage Fee Protect02:12 Family, Purpose & Personal Challenges05:07 From Car Sales To Tax Protection06:46 What Is Fee Protection Insurance?08:33 How HMRC Investigations Actually Work09:22 Why HMRC Is More Powerful Than Most People Realise11:17 The Human Cost Of HMRC Investigations12:32 AI, Digital Tax & The Future Of HMRC15:31 The £125,000 Sports Star Tax Investigation Case20:57 How Former HMRC Experts Help Defend Clients23:05 Common Tax Mistakes Businesses Make25:20 Are HMRC Under Too Much Pressure?28:49 Will AI Replace Accountants?30:35 Building Relationships In Business32:28 Why HMRC Is Looking At Online Platforms37:06 Opportunities For Accountants & Entrepreneurs40:06 The Biggest Areas HMRC Is Investigating42:30 Foreign Income & Worldwide Tax Investigations45:04 Future Plans & Industry Changes47:05 Final ThoughtsWhether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, landlord, company director, accountant, or tax adviser, this episode provides practical insight into how HMRC investigations work and how to protect yourself.🔔 Subscribe for more expert business, tax, accountancy, and entrepreneur content.#HMRC #TaxInvestigation #BusinessTax #Entrepreneur #Accountant #TaxAdvice #SmallBusiness #VAT #UKBusiness #TaxInvestigationInsurance #NextLevelFinance

🎙️ NEXT LEVEL FINANCE PODCAST | SERIES 3 EPISODE 2In this episode, we sit down with barrister and entrepreneur Faareen Ali, founder of IFW Legal, to discuss her remarkable journey from losing her father at just 11 years old to building one of the UK's fastest-growing legal personal brands.Faareen shares her experiences breaking barriers as a British-Pakistani woman in law, overcoming rejection, building a successful legal practice, leveraging TikTok and personal branding, and helping thousands of families protect their wealth through wills and estate planning.We also explore inheritance tax changes, why so many UK families still don't have a will, international estate planning, moving to Qatar, entrepreneurship, property investment, and the future of wealth planning.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction02:31 Losing Her Father at 1105:18 Breaking Barriers in Law09:14 Resilience & Rejection12:46 Building IFW Legal15:37 Personal Branding & TikTok18:32 Business Profitability20:41 Why Wills Matter24:28 Going Viral25:50 Why Every Parent Needs a Will27:45 The UK's Will Crisis31:44 Estate Planning for Expats34:39 Building Relationships37:16 The Story Behind IFW38:18 Life in Qatar40:14 Property Investment42:04 Building Community43:12 Inheritance Tax Changes45:56 Why People Are Leaving the UK47:14 Future PlansTopics covered:✓ Wills and estate planning✓ Inheritance tax✓ Lasting powers of attorney✓ Entrepreneurship✓ Personal branding✓ TikTok marketing✓ British-Pakistani success stories✓ Women in law✓ Property investment✓ Qatar opportunities✓ UK tax changes✓ Family wealth protection✓ International estate planningIf you enjoyed this episode, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE to support the Next Level Finance Podcast.

She became a mother at 17, worked in a post office, and spent 25 years in the corporate grind. Today, Rachel Knight -the "Title Split Queen"- is one of the UK’s most disruptive property trainers, teaching a strategy she claims is adding millions in hidden value to portfolios.Like the video if you want more content like this, and don't forget to hit subscribe to keep up to date with all the latest tax insights and news!Key Moments:00:00:00 - Intro00:01:50 - The Single Mom Origin Story00:09:30 - Leaving the 6-Figure Corporate Life00:18:14 - The £30k Education That Missed the Key Strategy00:27:34 - Title Split Proof: 30% Uplift & 168% More Rent00:36:42 - Case Study: Turning £5.7M into £12M00:41:48 - Building the Ultimate Property "Power Team"00:54:30 - The Community Model That Actually Works00:57:56 - Rant: UK Budget 2025 & Tax on Entrepreneurs01:05:52 - Global Expansion: Dubai & Hong Kong Plans

What if you could acquire a business in just 2 weeks and for a fraction of its value?

In this high-stakes episode, Zee dives deep into the world of acquiring businesses out of insolvency with returning guest and expert insolvency practitioner, Peter Charalambous.Forget traditional M&A with its months of due diligence. This is about moving at the "speed of light" to rescue sinking companies. Peter pulls back the curtain on pre-pack administrations, trading administrations, and the hidden opportunities most entrepreneurs never see.Like the video if you want more content like this, and don't forget to hit subscribe to keep up to date with all the latest tax insights and news!Key moments:00:00 - Introduction: The 2-Week Fire Sale02:40 - Pre-Pack vs. Trading Administration06:28 - Valuing a Business on Its Knees18:14 - The 3 Pillars of a Lightning-Fast Assessment23:27 - Top Reasons Businesses Fail33:05 - The Employee Dilemma (TUPE)38:53 - Case Study: The Debenhams Breakdown46:51 - Creative Deal Structures for Savvy Buyers52:13 - The "Phoenix" Company Rules57:00 - Personal Liability & Credit Impact

Zee Razaq speaks with property entrepreneur and growth expert Richard Evans!

Is your business running you, instead of you running it? 🤯 Most entrepreneurs are trapped trading time for money, leading straight to burnout.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Richard Evans, a seasoned entrepreneur who started his 7-figure business, Awaken to Business, in his late 50s after leaving the corporate world and navigating a divorce.Richard reveals the mindset shifts and practical systems that allowed him to scale his business, reclaim his time (now spending 2.5 days a week with his grandson!), and build a company that can truly run without him.

Zee Razaq interviews construction expert Dave Forde!

In this episode, we dive deep into the realities of growing up working class, navigating a system that often feels rigged, and the importance of timing, speed, and resilience in both business and life.

From personal stories to hard lessons, this episode shines a light on ambition, mindset, and the subtle dynamics that shape success and failure.

📌 Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction: The biggest myth about health & safety in property development.

00:01:03 – Dave’s background: From electrician to top construction manager.

00:02:30 – The "lightbulb moment" that changed Dave’s financial future.

00:06:06 – How his partner’s father transformed his mindset.

00:11:24 – The "time vs. money" trap – Why trading hours for pounds won’t make you rich.

00:18:31 – CDM Regulations & Building Safety Act – How developers risk losing everything (even as passive investors).

00:28:44 – IR35 Disaster – Why the UK’s tax system is pushing talent abroad.

00:40:37 – How Dave landed a Russian oligarch client (and what ultra-wealthy clients really want).

00:54:57 – Commercial-to-Resi Success – How Dave saved a client £110K on a single project.

01:00:03 – Brexit’s REAL Impact – The untold story of Eastern European workers & IR35.

01:08:24 – Why Dave is Leaving the UK – Taxes, politics, and where high performers are going.

🚀 Follow Dave Forde:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-forde/