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 10, 2024 • 32min
Debt: Do Collectors Deserve Their Bad Reputation?
It must be one of the most-maligned professions out there - on a par, perhaps, with traffic wardens - but debt collectors perform a vital service to businesses and the wider economy. So why do we love to despise them? Evan Davis and guests discuss the industry's inner workings, from the public image of aggressive, burly bailiffs, to the reality of repayment plans prompted by artificial intelligence. We ask how most try to ensure they collect debts fairly, and also hear the other side of the debt story - how damaging and stressful it can be for businesses who desperately need the money.Plus, why do we find it so hard to talk about debt in the UK? We hear about the industry's efforts to tackle the stigma.Evan is joined by:John Pears, UK CEO, Lowell;
Amon Ghaiumy, co-founder and CEO, Ophelos;
Dana Denis-Smith, CEO and founder, Obelisk Support.Production team:Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Farhana Haider
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Dafydd Evans and Sarah Hockley
Production co-ordinators: Rosie Strawbridge and Katie Morrison
Oct 3, 2024 • 32min
Side Hustles: What's It Like Balancing Two Jobs At Once?
Side hustlers are seemingly everywhere - some surveys suggest they account for around half of UK workers - and stories of getting rich quick and abandoning the 9-5 are plenty. But the reality for many is much less glamorous: long hours; a precarious balancing act with the day job; and a good chance of failure. Evan Davis speaks to side hustlers, and their employers, to find out what it’s really like balancing two jobs at once. Plus, why is side hustling so popular anyway? Does it reveal a flourishing entrepreneurial spirit in the UK, particularly among young workers, or is it a symptom of a changing relationship between employer and employee?Evan is joined by:Julian Douglas, global CEO, VCCP;
Ewen MacPherson, chief people officer, Havas UK;
Karen Burke, founder, Go Goosey. Production team:Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Nicola Brough and Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Sep 26, 2024 • 35min
New Tech: How Smart Is the Smart Energy System?
The UK's power grid is undergoing a huge shift towards renewable energy, but running homes and businesses solely on this new form of electricity will be a delicate balancing act and will pose new choices for consumers.Evan Davis and guests discuss the challenge of matching supply - from wind and solar - with an increased demand from electric vehicles and homes using heat pumps rather than gas boilers. Part of the solution could be consumers themselves - homes with EVs, solar panels or battery storage could act like mini power plants, sending energy back to the grid, as well as taking from it, and getting paid in the process. But that two-way exchange could bring harder decisions - would you let your energy company switch off your fridge for an hour to ease pressure on the grid? Evan is joined by:
Cordi O’Hara, president of UK electricity distribution, National Grid;
Hamish Phillips, net zero business development director, Centrica;
Jordan Brompton, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Myenergi.Production team:
Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Jonny Baker and Tim Heffer
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Jul 25, 2024 • 37min
The Bottom Line (unofficial) Business Awards
Every year has its business highs and lows which we don't often get an opportunity to chew over on The Bottom Line.This year is different. To mark our end of term, we thought we’d reflect on the business year and look at some of the highs and lows across the business landscape, creating our very own (and very unofficial) Bottom Line Business Awards. Three panellists, three categories, three nominations. Joining Evan are:
JESSICA SPUNGIN, Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School
SIR KEN OLISSA, Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London and Chair and founder of Restoration Partners, a bank for entrepreneurs
And NISHMA PATEL ROBB, current Executive Member of Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership, founder and CEO of The Glittersphere and formerly Marketing Director at Google UKPRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers: Drew Hyndman and Alex Lewis
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Jul 18, 2024 • 34min
The business of private schools
Geoffrey Stanford and other experts discuss the business of private schools in the UK, addressing the impact of VAT exemption removal, financial aspects, accessibility, benefits of private education, revenue challenges, and trends in mergers. They explore affordability for professionals, revenue strategies, and the importance of holistic development and social mobility through bursaries.
Jul 11, 2024 • 30min
Being the new broom
All eyes have been on the new prime minister as he, and his team of ministers, settle into their jobs running the country.In this episode we consider the management challenge of taking over and starting a new role, maybe changing the direction of an organisation. Three leaders from the world of business and the charity sector share their experience of coming in as a new broom, reflecting on the mistakes they made and advice they'd offer to the new Prime Minister.Evan Davis is joined by:
Stuart Hill, UK CEO, DHL
Rachel Roxburgh, former CEO, Dallaglio RugbyWorks
Alan French, CEO, Thomas Cook PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers: Alex Lewis, Drew Hyndman, Miriam Quayyum and Diane Richardson
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: James Beard and Hal Haines
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Rosie Strawbridge
Jul 4, 2024 • 34min
The Business of Dying
Managing the rituals of a loved one's death can be both bewildering and expensive. And although no-one wants to think about it being like buying a holiday or car, it is a business with a supply chain involving funerals, burials and cremation. A couple of years ago the Competition and Markets Authority - which protects people from unfair trading practices - carried out an in-depth investigation into the funeral market because of the “surprise” people experienced at the final cost of that farewell. On average people spend about £4,000, so what do you get for that and how is the industry changing?Evan Davis is joined by:
Gill Stewart, Managing Director, Co-op Funeralcare
Alison Crake, Senior Partner, Crake and Mallon Funeral Directors
Kate Tym, independent celebrant
And Greg Cranfield from JC Atkinson coffin makers.PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers: Alex Lewis, Drew Hyndman and Miriam Quayyum
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: James Beard and Hal Haines
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Rosie Strawbridge
Jun 27, 2024 • 32min
Is copyright going wrong?
Copyright law has been around since 1710. Back then it only applied to books. Now, it covers music, sport, film, television, video games, anything really. It was also much easier to enforce in the days when people couldn't reproduce things all the time. That all started to change with the introduction of the humble music cassette tape. Now, we can all copy things and publish them to social media whenever we like.Devices which can circumvent geographical barriers have meant that streaming services have had to rethink their business models. And no-one knows quite yet the potential AI has to change things.So is it time that copyright law had a reboot?Evan Davis is joined by:
Lisa Ormrod, copyright lawyer and Associate Director at Springbird Law
Nathalie Curtis Lethbridge, Founder of Atonik Digital which advises on streamed content and monetisation strategy
John McVay, Chief Executive of PACT, the trade body for independents working in the UK screen industry PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers: Alex Lewis, Drew Hyndman and Miriam Quayyum
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: James Beard and Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Jun 20, 2024 • 29min
Is work getting more intense?
Millions of employees in the UK are now able to work flexibly – fitting their job around their home life. Many in office jobs, can finish early on a Friday, and are allowed, even encouraged, to routinely work from home. But, at the same time, we’re told that the levels of overwork, stress, and burnout in this country are on the rise. More than 17 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression and anxiety in the last year for which we have data. So what’s going on?Evan Davis and guests discuss whether work is really making employees feel burnt out and what's the best way to tackle it.Evan is joined by:Jane Gratton: Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce
Riannon Palmer: Founder and CEO, Lem-uhn
Catherine Allen: People Director at THIS! PRODUCTION TEAM:Producers: Simon Tulett, Drew Hyndman and Miriam Quayyum
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Robin Warren and Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge
Jun 13, 2024 • 34min
Hype
Every brand wants attention, to be seen as a must-have, but how do some manage stratospheric levels of popularity? It might happen organically, perhaps even by accident, but it’s also true that many brands engineer it.Evan Davis and guest discuss the tricks of the trade, from social media influencers to artificial scarcity, and the potential pitfalls when a product is so popular that it's almost impossible to get hold of.Plus, what is it that compels people to queue several hours for a sandwich, or pay ten times the usual price for a bottle of energy drink - we explore the consumer psychology behind the hype.Evan is joined by:Ellis Gilbert, founder of Soho Yacht Club and Talk Nice Studios;
Rory Sutherland, vice chair of Ogilvy UK;
Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, reader in psychology at Anglia Ruskin University;
and Sian Evans, founder of Chatsworth Bakehouse.PRODUCTION TEAM:Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Neil Churchill and Donald MacDonald
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge(Picture: A customer jumps in the air as he leaves an iPhone store in London, after being the first person to buy the brand's latest phone. Credit: Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)
