The Bottom Line
BBC Radio 4
The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how their businesses work, and what it’s like to be in charge. They discuss a big issue, a big challenge, or a big question facing their industry. From managing AI to managing millennials, from supermarkets to supercharging a new product.And our guests will share their stories of success and failure along the way. Podcasts are published every Thursday. And as well as being a podcast, we are also available every Thursday afternoon and Tuesday evening on BBC Radio 4. You can now also listen to The Bottom Line on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Bottom Line”. It works on most smart speakers.The Bottom Line has published a spin off series - Decisions That Made Me - where Evan asks entrepreneurs and business leaders about the most crucial moments in their lives and careers. You can watch these episodes here: https://t.ly/oJ8lW. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with Evan and the team on email at bottomline@bbc.co.uk.The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University and is an EcoAudio certified production.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 24, 2019 • 28min
Insolvency
The number of companies in 'financial distress' in the UK is on the rise. What's causing the problems and what exactly happens when a company goes into administration? Evan Davis and guests discuss.Guests:Julie Palmer, Insolvency practitioner, Begbies TraynorAndy Scott, Chairman, REL CapitalDr Rebecca Parry, Director, Centre for Business and Insolvency, Nottingham Trent UniversityProducer: Julie Ball
Oct 17, 2019 • 28min
Plant-based foods
How can business benefit from the popularity of vegetarian and vegan products in supermarkets and restaurants? One in eight of us identifies as vegetarian or vegan, but that's not enough to have boosted the market so significantly. So what is happening and is it sustainable? Evan Davis and guests discuss.GUESTSKevin Brennan, CEO Quorn Tommaso Chiabra, venture capitalist and CEO Tommaso Chiabra HoldingsRachel Hugh, Co-founder, The Vurger CompanyProducer: Julie Ball
Oct 10, 2019 • 28min
Cryptocurrencies
Will Facebook's launch of its own cryptocurrency be a game changer? What will this mean for established currencies and the global banking system? Evan Davis and guests discuss.GUESTSJutta Steiner, Chief Executive Officer, Parity TechnologiesDr. Catherine Mulligan, Chief Technology Officer of Gov Tech Labs and Data Net at University College, London Barbara Mellish, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Citizenship, Enterprise and GovernmentPresenter: Evan DavisProducer: Julie Ball
Jul 25, 2019 • 28min
The Future of Commercial Aviation
How can the aviation industry marry sustainability with increasing passenger numbers? Since the deregulation of Europe's airlines in the late 1990s, more and more of us have been flying every year. Whilst this may be good news for the airline industry, it's not good news for the environment. Manufacturers are trying to make models lighter and more fuel efficient, with a pledge by IATA to cut emissions to 50% by 2050. Nevertheless, experts say we are at least fifteen years away from hybrid engine powered flight. Evan Davis and guests ask whether commercial aviation can meet its climate targets through new technology and more fuel efficient engines, whilst keeping costs down for the airlines and the customer?GUESTSPaul Kahn, president, Connectivity, Cobham PlcVolodymyr Bilotkach, economist, author of The Economics of AirlinesRob Morris, head of Global Consultancy, Ascend by CiriumPresenter: Evan DavisProducer: Julie BallEditor: Hugh Levinson
Jul 18, 2019 • 28min
Lessons of Theranos
What can we learn from how one medical start-up fooled Silicon Valley and the world? Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford University at 19 to start Theranos. She promised investors and the public a revolutionary blood diagnosis machine which would be less painful, accessible and affordable than ordinary lab tests. She managed to raise $9 billion in funding. Now the company is worth nothing. Holmes and her business partner may face up to 20 years in prison for fraud. How did she manage to deceive some of the world's cleverest minds - and is there something about start-up culture and the cult of the visionary leader which encourages charlatans? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS
Rebecca Jarvis, chief business, economics and technology correspondent, ABC News
Margaret Heffernan, author and entrepreneur
Jos White, entrepreneur and partner, Notion CapitalProducer: Julie Ball
Jul 11, 2019 • 28min
The investment industry - luck or judgement?
You trust financial professionals to grow your long term savings and pension pot. But how do you know if they are investing it wisely? The UK investment industry is awash with complicated terms and conditions, and unclear and sometimes high charges, which can eat into your monetary returns. The woes of star fund manager Neil Woodford, who has temporarily frozen one of his funds to its investors after poor performance, highlights just how complicated an industry it is. Is some clarity starting to emerge? Evan Davis and expert guests look under the bonnet of the UK investment industry.Guests: James Anderson, partner at Baillie Gifford, who jointly manage the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust
Bella Caridade Ferreira, chief executive and founder of Fundscape
Sean Hagerty, managing director of Vanguard EuropeProducer: Lesley McAlpine
Jul 4, 2019 • 28min
The discounters
Poundland, Lidl, B&M Bargains and Primark are thriving successes on the High Street, while more mainstream retailers have seen their profits hit. Just how do the discounters keep their prices so low? Keeping the business model simple, supply chains lean and costs down are key parts of the story.Guests:
Barry Williams, Managing Director of Poundland
Simon Arora, Chief Executive, B&M Bargains
Catherine Shuttleworth, Chief Executive of Savvy Marketing
Jun 27, 2019 • 28min
Pivoting
Can a sudden change in direction save a new company? Evan Davis and his guests hear stories about the start-up's nightmare: the original product is not selling, and cash is running out. Can changing focus - with a new service or product - pluck success from the jaws of doom? Speaking to entrepreneurs and experts, he learns about how in a range of sectors, from sanitary products to event ticketing, the key is to shift while staying true to the original vision.
Guests:
Celia Pool, cofounder DAME
Edmund Glover and Nick Stone, FIXR
Ramdane Mir, cofounder Cobbleweb
Jun 20, 2019 • 28min
Commerce and Crime
From Somali pirates who've turned kidnapping into a global enterprise to cybercrime and fraud - the worlds of business and wrongdoing potentially have much in common. Clever criminals build business empires and fraud is sometimes carried out by well paid workers at legitimate companies. What the two worlds can have in common is a pursuit of profit and a series of apparently rational calculations. Evan Davis and guests explore why some bright, talented people try to get rich the wrong way, while others manage to do it within the rules.GuestsBarrister, Sara George, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP
Michael Corrigan, Chief Executive at Prosper 4 - a training and recruitment firm for former prisoners
and Dr Anja Shortland, Reader in Political Economy at King's College, London.
Jun 13, 2019 • 28min
The Fitness Industry
Explore the secrets of success in the cut-throat fitness industry. Topics include mid-market fitness centers, challenges in the industry, diverse operators, success factors for fitness facilities, at-home and experienced-led workouts, and the rise of online workout options like Peloton.
