Page 366 - James Caan - The Real Deal

The Real Deal

arranged for security passes for us all and I booked a minibus to
collect James and his friends from their home in Halifax for a day
out in London. After we’d been to Westminster and James had had
his Christmas wish granted, I took them all to Harrods and headed
straight for the toy department where there was a grotto. So the
kids met two Santas in one day and seemed to be having the time
of their lives. Afterwards we went to the ice-cream parlour in
Harrods, where they have more than 100 varieties of ice cream,
and between us I think we tried them all. Before they got back
on the minibus I had one last surprise for them – gold-plated
iPods from GoldGenie. I don’t think it’s a day any of us will ever
forget.
Appearing on Dragons’ Den has had an impact on my business
as well as my personal life. I now get many more invitations to
many more events, parties and charity fundraisers, as well as
requests to offer my opinion on things like Newsnight, Sky News
and Bloomberg. I’m asked to talk about the economy or comment
on changes to the trading environment, but sometimes I get asked
my opinion on whatever is in the headlines. During one interview
I was even asked what impact I though the Indonesian elections
would have on the economy. I had to stop myself from saying live
on air: What Indonesian elections?
My diary is now so full that my PA has had to hire an assistant
just to cope with the calls and requests I get each day. But that’s
not the real impact on Hamilton Bradshaw; it’s the number of
deals that are now brought to us. Whether it’s the chance to
acquire a freehold building in the West End or the opportunity to
invest in a business before the market gets wind of it, the offers
are non-stop. That means more staff to filter the deals and more
work. Although eventually, of course, it should also lead to more
profit, in the meantime I still find myself working the kinds of
hours I did at Alexander Mann. That makes it all the more
important that I find time to be with my family, and, whether it’s

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