YOUR BUSINESS SPRING 2019 - 35

Interview
You came second in UK LinkedIn's Top
Influencer for 2018. Why do you think
your blogs have been so successful?

Because I recognise the importance of social media.
I used to say it was a young person's game but then
I realised that's not true. It doesn't matter what age
you are, you have to embrace and understand it.
I recognised that for someone in the recruitment
industry, LinkedIn was the most effective site. By
sharing my knowledge and experience, and giving
tips and ideas within the recruitment industry,
it's a win-win - I'm sharing my knowledge
and building an audience at the same time.

Has your attitude to running a
business changed now that finance
is no longer a driver for you?

It's still challenging because markets keep changing,
the customer base keeps changing, pricing keeps
changing. To be successful today isn't the same
as the year before. I don't feel in 2019 I have all
the answers because this year will be so different
from last year. But being constantly challenged by
market conditions and dynamics keeps you alive.

Do you have any TV work coming up?

This year I'm going to concentrate on the businesses
because they're taking up so much more of my time.
They've always been the forefront of what I do but
with everything going on, the focus has to be the
businesses I've invested in. In
2020, once Brexit is over and
there's stability in market, I'll
have more time for TV work.

Considering Brexit,
do you think this is a
good time to start a
business in the UK?

"The more
support and
expertise you
can surround
yourself with,
the better"

Every situation and every
market condition creates
opportunities, it all depends
on what you are doing.
With or without Brexit, we
still need something to eat,
somewhere to live, we need
to drive, take taxis, watch TV - we're all still doing
the things we did before. As long as consumers and
corporates spend money, there's business to be had.

What is happening with your charity,
the James Caan Foundation?

I'm always looking at new projects the foundation
can fund and support, and I have four or five new
projects for this year. A lot of the foundation's work is
based on opportunities I can get emotionally attached
to. It's about giving people opportunities they might
not have access to, usually involving children,
education or entrepreneurship. At the moment I'm
looking at a UK project to do with mental health.

If you weren't in business,
what would you have liked
to have done with your life?

I've really enjoyed doing TV; it's
a comfortable place for me. I
would find having a business show
really interesting and exciting.
Not necessarily Dragon's Den but
something similar where I could
mentor businesses. I would also
love to write more books about
entrepreneurship and business,
and the associated challenges. And
being a philanthropist and making a
difference to other people - that's the
most rewarding thing you can do.

What would you like
to achieve in 2019?

I want to maintain stability in my
businesses and see through 2019,
which is going to be quite a challenging
year. I'm not expecting a huge amount
of growth; I want to maintain what
I've got. Once Brexit is resolved, I want
the businesses to be well positioned
and financed to take advantage of
what we see on the other side, and
be able to grow as a consequence.

35
YOUR BUSINESS SPRING 2019

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