Page 194 - James Caan - The Real Deal

The Real Deal

sick, it would have affected too many people. People had to
identify with the company, not with me. It was time for Alexander
Mann to grow up, and I knew that meant becoming corporate.
And, as with a lot of entrepreneurs, that’s not my natural style.
I had another reason for finding a general manager: I wanted to
start another business. I had really enjoyed looking around at
other opportunities during the recession and it had got me thinking
about what else I could do. I was good at recruitment, but I
thought I had more going for me than that. I thought my
experience was more valuable in business in general than it was in
one specific sector.
I had learned that I was good with people, at managing and
motivating them, and I knew how to drive for profits. Whether it
was persuading Sam Collins that recruitment was right for her or
uncovering the innate desires of sales reps at Reid Trevena, I
trusted my assessment of people. I had spent over a decade placing
people in jobs and I knew how to get the best out of the best
candidates, but I had started to wonder what could happen if,
rather than finding really talented people and then placing them
into a job, I backed them to start a business of their own. The
business could be their idea if they were passionate about it, or an
opportunity I had spotted. I had a tremendous sense of curiosity
to see if I could apply my skills outside Alexander Mann.
The recession had taught me not to put all my eggs in one
basket: I had come so close to being wiped out and I never wanted
to be in that position again. If I had several businesses in several
markets, then I reasoned that I wouldn’t be as exposed. I became
really excited about the possibilities ahead and my mind was made
up: I would invest my time and profit from Alexander Mann and
back brilliant people, just as I had done with Aisha and the
boutiques a decade before.
Around this time I was considering expanding Alexander Mann
through the acquisition of a smaller agency, and a guy called

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