From real estate to recruitment, opportunities to make money exist in the current market for those who hunt them down, entrepreneur and recruitment firm investor James Caan told a London audience this week.

Speaking at the launch of recruitment firm Eden Brown’s Networth networking events, Caan said that networking was crucial to finding the opportunities.  “I’m networking every single day of the week…all of the opportunities I’m picking up are [coming] because I’m putting myself out there. My entire team is out there.”

“In business, it isn’t about your product, it isn’t about service. It is about you.”

At Eden Brown, which Caan’s Hamilton Bradshaw private equity firm bought in 2007, he pointed out that profitability had increased significantly even though it had a major presence in the hard-hit construction arena. That shows, he said, “you can still do very well” in the current market.

“The market is only as hard as you allow it to be. Yes, it’s tough but there is hope out there but you have to be different.

Networking helps businesspeople to know what is being done in the market — and what is not already being done,” Caan said.

Networth events are aimed at directors in construction and property companies.