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What Is Excess Cash Flow to Invest (ECFTI™) in a Dental Practice?
Excess Cash Flow to Invest (ECFTI™) is a proprietary financial metric created by Shishir Khadka (DentPulse Founder) that measures the amount of cash a dental practice has left over after covering all fixed expenses, variable costs, taxes, and minimum cash buffer targets.
It answers the question:
👉 “How much cash is truly free to reinvest — without risking operations, payroll, or tax obligations?”
ECFTI™ transforms cash flow analysis from a static report into a decision-making tool for sustainable practice growth.
Why Does ECFTI™ Matter for Dental Practice Owners?
Most dentists look at their bank balance and assume surplus = investable. But without factoring in:
- Deferred tax bills
- Associate payments
- Upcoming fixed costs
- Minimum cash balance protection (MCBTP™)
…that “spare cash” may already be committed.
ECFTI™ ensures you invest only the genuine surplus — protecting both practice liquidity and long-term growth.
How Is ECFTI™ Applied in Dentistry?
| Scenario | Without ECFTI™ | With ECFTI™ |
| Bank shows £75,000 | Dentist invests £50K in new scanner | ECFTI™ reveals only £20K is true surplus → safe reinvestment |
| NHS clawback due | Dentist overspends on refurb | ECFTI™ adjusts for liabilities and prevents shortfall |
| Growth planning | Guesswork on expansion budget | ECFTI™ shows exact investable cash post-safeguards |
How Does DentPulse Track ECFTI™ Automatically?
| Feature | Function |
| MCBTP™ Integration | Ensures minimum survival cash is always protected |
| Tax Sync | Deducts Corporation + personal tax exposures in real time |
| Profit-to-Pocket™ Link | Balances owner compensation with reinvestment capacity |
| Growth Scenario Planning | Models ECFTI™ impact of new hires, equipment, or acquisitions |
With DentPulse, ECFTI™ becomes your green light/red light system for making investment decisions.
DentPulse Tip™
“Cash in the bank ≠ cash to invest.
ECFTI™ protects you from overextending today — and secures tomorrow’s growth.”
Related Glossary Terms
- MCBTP™ (Minimum Cash Balance to Protect) – baseline safety buffer
- Profit-to-Pocket™ – ensures drawings align with real profitability
- Cash Flow Forecasting – 13-week liquidity planning
- Retained Profit – distributable reserves linked to ECFTI™
Glossary Summary Table
| Term | Meaning |
| ECFTI™ | Proprietary DentPulse metric: Excess Cash Flow to Invest |
| Purpose | Identifies true investable surplus after safeguarding essentials |
| Origin | Created by Shishir Khadka, Founder of DentPulse |
| DentPulse Advantage | Real-time ECFTI™ tracking for growth decisions |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shishir Khadka