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
Jun 18, 2015 • 28min
Outsourcing
Outsourcing has had a bad press over the years: What with taxpayers being charged for tagging offenders who were dead, the fiasco over security at the London Olympics and the earlier trend for companies to shift operations to call centres in India. Evan Davis and guests look beyond the negative headlines to examine the pros and cons of getting an outside supplier to do some of your work. And they'll find out how outsourcing has enabled the creators of a chilli sauce to expand from the garden shed to the shelves of hundreds of stores.Guests:Rupert Soames, CEO, Serco
Paul Blantern, CEO, Northampstonshire County Council
Kuldip Singh Sehota, CEO Mr Singh's SauceProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Jun 11, 2015 • 28min
Corruption
The scandal at FIFA is just the latest story of corporate corruption to dominate the news. What steps can businesses take to avoid getting caught up in corruption, particularly in countries and sectors where bribery is the norm? What is legitimate business conduct and what crosses the line into illegality?
Evan Davis and his guests discuss:Emma Sharma, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for the Supreme Group
Hugh Miles of The Al Shafie Miles Consultancy
Leo Martin of Good CorporationProducer: Jim Frank.
Jun 5, 2015 • 28min
Failure
If your business venture doesn't succeed, how can you be sure it's worth trying again before admitting defeat? More than 50% of businesses fail within 5 years, yet for many, failure is a necessary part of success. Even Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn't get it right first time. Evan Davis's guests discuss the important lessons they've learned from their business mistakes and speak candidly about the personal and financial impact of failing. How do you overcome the stigma of failure and what skills are required to bounce back when your business has bombed?Guests:
Bill Cullen, Chairman, Bill Cullen Motor Group
Katarina Skoberne, Co-founder and former CEO, OpenAd
Stuart Miller, Co-founder and CEO, ByBox GroupProducer: Sally Abrahams.
May 28, 2015 • 28min
Productivity
Why is UK productivity lower than in many other countries?Evan Davis begins a new series of The Bottom Line by looking at the productivity problem. The programme asks what productivity really means and how different sectors go about measuring it.Evan hears from three chief executives in three different sectors: manufacturing; advertising and health. How can productivity be measured and improved in these diverse sectors? How, for example, should the productivity of a doctor or nurse be measured?Guests:
Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham
Brian Holliday Managing Director, Managing Director for Siemens Digital Factory UK
James Murphy, Founder and Chief Executive of Adam and Eve DDB AdvertisingProducer: Jim Frank.
Mar 26, 2015 • 28min
Corporate Scandal
Phone hacking, financial mis-selling and fraud: How do companies recover from scandal and negative headlines? Evan Davis and guests discuss the skills and strategy required to bounce back.Guests:Niall Booker, CEO, Co-operative BankMike Darcey, CEO, News UKStephen Hester, CEO, RSAProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Mar 19, 2015 • 28min
Football's Billions
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore joins Evan Davis and guests to discuss the economics and business of football.In light of the recent Premier League TV deal, worth a staggering £5 billion pounds, this week Evan and guests discuss its implications for football both in the UK and in other markets. Whilst the top players can expect even bigger salaries, how will the deal impact on fans and clubs outside the top division? Three top football executives discuss including Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore. Producer: Jim Frank.
Mar 12, 2015 • 28min
Going Global
Whether you're selling breakfast cereals, criminal tags or excavator buckets, expanding your business overseas can be a game changer. But when's the right time to export and which countries should you target? Evan Davis and guests discuss the ups and downs of trading internationally. They'll share their stories on why it can be easier to sell abroad than at home, how to adapt products for a new market and why doing your homework can ensure that nothing is lost in translation. Top tips on how to make exporting a business boost not a foreign flop. Guests:Sara Murray, Founder and CEO, BuddiGiles Turrell, CEO, WeetabixJacqui Miller, Director, Miller International.
Mar 5, 2015 • 28min
Whatever Happened To?
Sock Shop, Golden Wonder and Lehman Brothers: big names that once dominated the high street, the supermarket shelves and the financial world. They faded from view, yet still exist today. What prompted their demise? How did they lose market share? Evan Davis and guests discuss the rise and fall of these iconic companies and explore whether they can ever reach the success of their golden years.Guests:Vimal Ruia, Managing Director, Sock ShopPaul Allen, CEO, TaytoTony Lomas, Chief Administrator, Lehman Brothers in the UKProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Feb 26, 2015 • 28min
Waiting in Line: The Business of Queuing
The science and psychology of the queue. This week Evan and his guests look at how businesses manage queuing. We're often told that queuing is one of those quintessential British habits which embodies our sense of fair play: that we should wait our turn. Despite technological innovation. queuing remains one of those unavoidable things we all have to do: be that on-line, waiting for a bus or to pay for our groceries at the check-out. But what does it mean for businesses? How do they go about managing queues and our expectations of those as customers? Producer: Jim Frank.
Feb 23, 2015 • 28min
Inventors
Artificial snow, a plastic hairbrush and a non-spill baby beaker: How do you turn an idea into a successful business? Three entrepreneurs discuss with Evan Davis the process of designing a product and getting it onto the market. How do you finance the project and what's the best way to protect your design from copycats? We'll hear how one inventor risked everything in a legal battle against a company that stole her design. And discover how to create more than 200 types of fake snow. Guests:
Shaun Pulfrey, Founder and CEO, Tangle TeezerMandy Haberman, Founder, Haberman ProductsDarcey Crownshaw, Founder and MD, Snow Business Producer: Sally Abrahams.
