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 2, 2014 • 28min
The Saviour Returns
The best person for the job? Evan Davis hears from four bosses who took back control of the companies they had once founded. Why did they leave and what events made them return? From boardroom coups to corporate collapses, entrepreneurs explain how they took the helm - for the second time - of the businesses they knew so well. What had changed while they were away? And what were the very first decisions they made when they walked back through the doors?Guests: Steve Morgan, founder, Redrow; Louise O'Sullivan, founder, Anam Technologies; Nick and Kath Whitworth, co-founders, Celtic & Co.Producer: Sally Abrahams.
Jul 24, 2014 • 28min
Recalls
Faulty children's beds, mislabelled horsemeat burgers and exploding dishwashers are among the products recalled by companies in the UK to protect the health and safety of consumers. Evan Davis and guests discuss the process for recalling defective items and find out how quickly manufacturers and distributors must act. What are the logistics of getting back hundreds of thousands of products from consumers? And what impact does a recall have on a company's reputation? Does it reassure or unnerve customers?Guests:Gerard Bos, Customer Relations Manager for UK and Ireland, IkeaChris Dee, Chief Operating Officer, E.H BoothVince Shiers, Managing Director, RQA GroupProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Jul 17, 2014 • 28min
Location, Disruption, Location
Civil war in Sierra Leone, political unrest in Ukraine, the Japanese tsunami and Hurricane Sandy on the east coast of the US - three guests tell Evan Davis how they led businesses through periods of unexpected and extended turmoil. Guests :
Peter Kaye, Director of Business Development, Pilgrims Group
Bryan Disher, Ukraine Country Manager, PWC
Mary Bahsoon, Co-owner Bennimix Producer : Rosamund Jones.
Jul 10, 2014 • 28min
Second-Hand Trade
Making money from old phones, engines and plastic bottles is the topic for Evan Davis and guests.
How do you ensure that you collect what others throw away? How much profit is there really to be had from creating new from old? And why aren't milk bottle tops quite the colour they once were? Guests
Charlo Carabott, co-founder & CEO Mazuma Mobile
Matt Bulley, managing director Caterpillar Reman Europe
Chris Dow, Founder & CEO Closed Loop Recycling Producer : Rosamund Jones.
Jul 3, 2014 • 28min
Mental Health
Would you tell your boss you had depression? In The Bottom Line this week, Evan Davis hears from three successful business people who talk openly about what it's like to experience severe mental illness whilst running their companies. They'll explain the risks and rewards of going public about mental ill health problems: the reaction from investors and the impact on staff. And we'll hear why being open about mental illness can lead to a happier, healthier workplace.Guests:Lord Stevenson of Coddenham, entrepreneur and former Chairman of HBOS and Pearson;
Andrea Woodside, Founder, Minding Work Limited;
and Charlie Mowat, Managing Director, The Clean SpaceProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Jun 26, 2014 • 28min
Single Product Companies
Can you conquer the world by selling only one product? Many companies start small, focusing their energies on a single item, with plans to expand into other areas once the business takes off. But not everyone wants to diversify. Some prefer to do one thing and do it well, rather than risk diluting the brand and perhaps also the quality of the goods. In this edition of The Bottom Line, Evan Davis talks to three companies that have stuck with the core product that made them a success in the first place. They'll discuss the benefits of keeping focused, the challenges of staying ahead of the game and explore the perils of relying on just one source of income. Does it make good business sense to put all your eggs in one basket?Guests:Vince Gunn, Managing Director, Crocs EuropeCarolyn Komminsk, Head of Creative, MaclarenBill Noble, Managing Director, WD40 CompanyProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Jun 19, 2014 • 28min
The Muslim Pound
How big is the market for halal - not just food, but holidays, fashion and music too? Muslim consumers - and how best to serve them - are the topics this week. Evan Davis talks to entrepreneurs who think they know the answer and asks how much can established companies learn from them.Guests :Shelina Janmohamed, Ogilvy Noor
Elnur Seyidli, HalalBooking.com
Shazia Saleem, ieat foodsProducer : Rosamund Jones.
Jun 12, 2014 • 28min
Sex and Drugs
Making money from products with a controversial image is the topic for Evan Davis and his guests who represent companies selling drugs and sex toys. These companies are testing our morals and the regulations set up to protect them. So how do you market products that many people disapprove of? And how do you manage the social and business opprobrium you encounter?Guests :
Jean Rasbridge, founder ECigaretteDirect.co.uk
Andy Williams, co-founder Medicine Man Denver
Neal Slateford, co-founder LoveHoneyProducer : Rosamund Jones.
Jun 5, 2014 • 28min
Bitcoin
The new economy based on bitcoins, the computer-generated crypto-currency, is the subject for discussion. What can you buy with them and as the market fluctuates wildly, can investors hold their nerve? The programme will look at how the bitcoin craze began and whether the world really does need another currency. Evan Davis's guests are from new companies hoping to cash in - one trades bitcoins, another stores them and the third enables you to spend them online.Contributors :Marc Warne, Bittylicious
Nicolas Cary, Blockchain
Moe Levin, BitpayProducer : Rosamund Jones.
May 31, 2014 • 28min
Cyber Security
Can you keep business safe from hackers? Many companies now feel besieged by constant attacks and few can claim not to have been targeted. In the first of a new series of the award-winning The Bottom Line Evan Davis and guests discuss the anatomy of a cyber attack - where the threats are coming from and how best to respond. And they'll ask - should businesses be more honest about the security breaches they've faced?Guests
Richard Knowlton, Group Corporate Security Director, Vodafone
Rashmi Knowles, Chief Security Architect, RSA
Seth Berman, Executive MD, Stroz FriedbergProducer : Sally Abrahams.
