I'll take both

New

Friday, 1 May 2026

Dr Alireza Eskandaripour was thrilled when he found the perfect site in the perfect location for his new GP practice. He had been part-owner of a group practice for years, but was ready to branch out on his own. Running and owning his own practice had been his dream since graduating from the Esfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2014.

The site was available for lease in the HomeCo. shopping centre in Willetton, south of Perth. The space ticked all the boxes. It was a busy shopping complex, had great exposure and was much closer to Dr Eskandaripour’s home.

He was put in contact with Malcolm Blake, a Relationship Director at Avant Finance, by colleagues who had used Avant Finance’s services in the past. They were all impressed by the level of service they received. “I had already decided to sign the lease when I found another attractive site on the market,” Dr Eskandaripour recalls. “It was a commercial property for sale and close to the shopping centre. I was torn. Both sites had aspects I liked. And I was attracted to owning my own property.”

Malcolm, who could see the quandary Dr Eskandaripour was facing, ran the numbers and came up with an unexpected proposal—why not take both? “There is always a certain amount of fear when starting a new business,” says Dr Eskandaripour. “This fear was now doubled as I faced the prospect of simultaneously leasing one property and buying another. I was doing this on my own so the responsibility fell squarely on my shoulders."

Dr Eskandaripour faced his fear, took advice from senior colleagues and friends who run medical centres, and attended multiple meetings with Malcolm to crunch the numbers. The outcome was clear; this would work. Once Dr Eskandaripour agreed to go ahead, Malcolm helped set the wheels in motion.

“Malcolm assisted in securing a loan and all the necessary approvals to purchase the property,” Dr Eskandaripour says. “Finance was obtained to start the design and fitout for the medical practice in the shopping centre. The Avant lawyers handled all the legal issues, reviewed the loan and gave me a number of recommendations. All necessary insurances—personal, business, indemnity—were obtained through Avant. It was unbelievably convenient to have everything under one roof with various teams clearly communicating with each other.”

Open for business

Southlands General Practice opened in April 2025. There were two elements uppermost in Dr Eskandaripour’s mind. He wanted his practice to cover all his patients’ needs, essentially creating a one-stop medical practice. He also wanted the interior to be well-designed and friendly with a calming atmosphere.

“First impressions are important when people step into a practice,” he says. “It should be a welcoming environment that reflects the professionalism of the service they will receive.”

The financing he organised through Avant Finance allowed him to design a modern, contemporary practice featuring muted colours, vibrant artworks, rounded corners and a clean minimalism. The response to the practice and the care patients receive has been overwhelmingly positive. The business has a high proportion of elderly patients who love the convenience of dropping into the practice while doing their shopping. Additionally, people of all ages and many families also use their services.

Quick growth

In less than a year, the business has grown rapidly, employing eight doctors, including Dr Eskandaripour. Two further doctors will join the team soon. The services on offer include all aspects of men’s and women’s health, paediatrics, chronic disease management, diabetes management, skin checks and pathology. Mental health is prioritised in the practice with the doctors able to supply Mental Health Care Plans and connect patients to psychologists, psychiatrists and other support services. Travel vaccinations and pathology services are also available. 

Dr Eskandaripour takes pride in the level of care offered and the collaborative work of the medical and admin teams. “I had been in a multi-GP partnership for 10 years prior to starting my own practice and was heartened that so many of my patients followed me to the new location,” says Dr Eskandaripour. “Starting a new medical practice in an established suburb has its own set of problems. I was concerned that if people are set in their ways, they may be unwilling to consider Southland General Practice as an option.”

Dr Eskandaripour didn’t need to worry. His business continues to expand, and his client list is large and varied.
“I’ve always believed that the most important thing is giving good service,” he says. “That leads to word-of-mouth recommendations and that’s the absolute best way to grow a business. Many patients come in for the first time and say, ‘My friend comes here and he raves about you.’ These accolades are due to all the members of my incredible team.”

Practice two

Meanwhile, the purchased property is just waiting to be fitted out and staffed with the same level of exceptional professionals. As it’s relatively close to the first practice, the team will be able to offer a variety of different services in each location. Their close proximity will also make managing the businesses easier. Dr Eskandaripour is expecting to open the second practice in 2026. “Once again, I’ll be using Avant to finance the set-up and purchase or lease the necessary equipment,” he says. “I’ve had such a good experience with them, I would never go anywhere else. They are experts in what they do and make the whole process easy. Everyone I’ve dealt with at Avant has been an honest, nice human being. That’s very important to me.” 

The next practice will utilise the highest level of technology. Dr Eskandaripour is also committed to making it a paper-free medical centre. “I hate that so much paper is thrown away,” he says. “I want to include electronic communication referrals, electronic scripts and reduce as much paper waste as possible.”

Getting it done

So far, it’s been a roller-coaster ride for Dr Eskandaripour, but also a calculated process that has carefully advanced one step after the other. “It’s a big job to run and manage a multi-GP practice but at the end of the day, it’s rewarding,” he says. “When you see that your dream has turned into reality, well, there’s nothing better.” Throughout his journey, Malcolm Blake and the team at Avant have been right beside him. “I really appreciate that Malcolm is always accessible,” Dr Eskandaripour says. “I asked him if it’s okay if I message him and his response was, ‘Of course. Night-time, weekends, weekdays, anytime at all.’ He made everything about starting this new business easy for me.” Since opening its doors, Southland General Practice has gone from strength to strength. They have attracted and retained well-qualified, experienced doctors. The contemporary and functional interior is an attractive proposition for patients, staff and doctors. The client feedback has been positive and word-of mouth referrals are constantly growing. “I couldn’t be happier,” says Dr Eskandaripour. “Everything has gone as planned. In all honesty, Malcolm made it possible and made it happen. I’ll be forever grateful to him and Avant.”

I started working with Ali while he was searching for premises to start his own GP practice. He was willing to buy or lease and had been looking for quite some time. Like buses, two came along at once. Avant Finance provided finance to purchase the commercial property and working capital to fully fitout the shopping centre premises. My colleagues at Avant Law reviewed the tenancy agreement and the Avant insurance team were able to provide cover for many of the important elements of the business. His practice is very successful and has grown rapidly. Ali plans to expand into the purchased property within the next 12 months. It’s been gratifying to assist him achieve his goals while setting him up for future success.

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Malcolm Blake - Relationship Director, Avant Finance