Shows / The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line
Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show with people at the top giving insight into what matters
Episodes
- The Bottom Line
Redemption
Post-prison businesses. From the board room to a jail cell... and back again? How easy is it to re-build a career after serving time for financial offences?…
- The Bottom Line
Unlocking the North
'Good economic growth in every postcode' is the ambitious slogan being used by the prime minister, Andy Burnham. His big idea is to devolve decision making and…
- The Bottom Line
Are Subscriptions a Good Deal?
Why buy when you can subscribe? From food boxes to fashion, businesses are increasingly keen to sign us up for regular payments. The attraction is clear –…
- The Bottom Line
Germany: From Wunder to Woe
What is going wrong with the largest economy in Europe? It accounts for roughly one-third of the continent's total manufacturing output but since 2020 there's…
- The Bottom Line
Antiques
If there’s one business that’s ingrained in popular culture, you could argue it's the buying and selling of antiques. You only have to count the number of TV…
- The Bottom Line
Drones: Small machines, big business
Drones are no longer simply small flying cameras. They’re being used to fight wars, find people lost at sea, inspect infrastructure and gather intelligence…
- The Bottom Line
Trainer Wars
The 2026 London Marathon saw new world record times set in both the men's and women's events. Eyes weren't just on the winning athletes but also on the Adidas…
- The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line Business Awards 2026
From breakthrough products and inspiring leadership to marketing disasters and strategic own goals, a panel of business leaders choose the winners and losers…
- The Bottom Line
Twenty Years in Business
The Bottom Line has been on BBC Radio 4 for twenty years. The programme was first broadcast in 2006. Back then smartphones weren't on sale, Facebook had only…
- The Bottom Line
Imposter Syndrome
Success doesn't always bring confidence. In fact, some of the most accomplished people privately worry they're not as capable as everyone believes. They live…
- The Bottom Line
The Costs and Benefits of Business Regulation
Few disagree we need business regulations to protect the rights of workers and consumers, ensure markets operate fairly and set standards for a whole host of…
- The Bottom Line
Digital Nomads
A laptop, reliable wifi and a visa, the formula that has allowed millions to work from almost anywhere in the world. It’s a lifestyle that promises freedom and…
- The Bottom Line
When brands collaborate
Whether it’s McDonald’s and Cadbury or H&M and Karl Lagerfeld, brand collaborations are booming. From food to fashion, homeware to movies, why are partnerships…
- The Bottom Line
How the oil industry works
What does it take to drill oil out of the ground and then refine it into petrol, jet fuel or other petrochemical products? The world currently uses about a…
- The Bottom Line
Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered
Evan is joined by a panel of top entrepreneurs to answer your listener questions. How do you make your business stand out in a crowded market? Where can you…
- The Bottom Line
Product Innovation: Better, Or Just New?
From smartphones to trainers, confectionary and cleaning products, we live in a culture of constant updates. Companies reformulate, redesign and refresh their…
- The Bottom Line
How Do You Deal with a Workplace Bully?
Across our professional careers, many of us will come into contact with a difficult colleague or hard-to-please superior. But what happens when difficult…
- The Bottom Line
Private Renting: Who Wants to Be a Landlord?
The UK’s private rental market has grown dramatically over recent decades, creating what often feels like a tale of two nations: ‘Generation Rent’ who are…
- The Bottom Line
Dynamic Pricing: Who Profits?
Everyone wants to get the best price they can when they buy, whether that’s a product, a service or an experience. But the ‘best price’ can look different for…
- The Bottom Line
What Happens When Brands Change Hands?
From headline deals like Vodafone-Three or home builder, Barratt buying rival, Redrow, corporate mergers and takeovers are on the rise. Evan Davis and guests…
- The Bottom Line
Airport Lounges: For the Many or the Few?
In the years after the COVID pandemic we are travelling more and expecting more from our journeys. Travel is increasingly viewed as an end-to-end experience…
- The Bottom Line
Boom And Bust: Is AI The New Dotcom Bubble?
Right now, Artificial Intelligence feels unstoppable. Investors are piling in, expectations are sky-high and claims about a radically different future are…
- The Bottom Line
USPs: What Is The UK Good At?
Every country likes to think it’s world-class at something. The Italians claim style, the Germans have their engineering and the Americans have Silicon Valley…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Ben Branson (Seedlip)
Frustrated by the lack of sophisticated non-alcoholic drink options, Ben Branson began experimenting in his kitchen, distilling herbs from his garden to create…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Margaret Heffernan
Margaret Heffernan didn’t start out in business. Until her mid-30s, she was enjoying a successful career at the BBC, producing and directing TV dramas and…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me – Joey Gonzalez (Barry’s)
When Joey Gonzalez took his first class at Barry’s, West Hollywood, he says “it was love at first sweat”. The music, night-club vibe and high-intensity workout…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Sameer Vuyyuru
Sameer Vuyyuru has spent his career at the cutting edge of technology. From building semiconductors at Texas Instruments to launching an AI-startup in…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Harry Destecroix (Ziylo, Science Creates, SCVC)
Harry Destecroix was studying for his PhD at Bristol University when he co-founded Ziylo. Based on 20 years of Bristol chemistry research, the spin-out company…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Sophie Mirman
Sophie Mirman was thrown in at the deep end when – at the age of 13 – she was in a car accident with her parents. They were both badly injured and, a few years…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Jesper Brodin (IKEA)
When Jesper Brodin landed a job as IKEA’s purchase manager in Pakistan, he was only 26. And had no idea he was the only applicant. He’s now spent 30 years with…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Heather Vernon (Woburn Partners)
Heather Vernon never expected to become an entrepreneur. Her goal after university was to become a teacher, through the Teach First graduate programme - two…
- The Bottom Line
Hypotheticals: How Would You React If You Were Boss?
Three business leaders tackle fictional dilemmas that test their instincts, experience and nerves. To make it more realistic, none of the guests have any idea…
- The Bottom Line
Productivity: How Can British Business Work Smarter?
Productivity drives prosperity, yet the UK continues to lag behind countries like the US, France and Germany. We work harder, yet produce less than our peers…
- The Bottom Line
Introverts: Can Quiet Voices Conquer The Corporate World?
Do you ever feel the world is stacked in favour of the extrovert people – the most gregarious, the most outwardly confident, the perhaps sometimes…
- The Bottom Line
Human Resources: Is HR Out of Control?
Once known as “personnel”, Human Resources seems to have become a real centre of power in modern business. No longer just handing out payslips or organising…
- The Bottom Line
Chaos Management: Do Fewer Rules Make For Better Workplaces?
Can chaos ever be good for business? From Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff policies to Elon Musk’s disruptive leadership style, some of the world’s most…
- The Bottom Line
Spinouts: How Can Universities Turn Research Into Successful Businesses?
What happens when university research becomes a business? It’s called a spin-out and it’s built Silicon Valley, with Stanford University at the centre. In the…
- The Bottom Line
Direct to Consumer: A Better Way to Sell?
It's easier than ever to create a website for your business and talk directly with customers, but what are the pitfalls to avoid? Three business leaders…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Greg Jackson (Octopus Energy)
Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Greg Jackson left school at 16 to write computer games, later joining Greenpeace before returning to study economics at…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Charlie Bowes-Lyon (Wild)
In 2019, Charlie Bowes-Lyon co-founded Wild with childhood friend Freddy Ward, frustrated by the lack of sustainable options in personal care. Their first…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Mark Dixon (IWG)
Mark Dixon left school at 16 and began selling hot dogs before building a bread roll business. In 1989 he founded Regus, spotting the need for flexible offices…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Thomas Beahon (Castore Co-Founder)
Tom Beahon played youth football for Tranmere Rovers from the age of eight, but when he realised he’d never make the very top, he walked away to chase a new…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Anthony Eskinazi (JustPark Founder)
When he finished university Anthony Eskinazi was destined for a graduate scheme with a top accountancy firm, but he couldn’t resist a business idea he’d had…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Joanna Jensen (Childs Farm Founder)
When an investor pulled the plug on a £3m cash injection for Joanna Jensen’s fledgling business, it could not have come at a worse time. The Childs Farm…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Nick Grey (Gtech, Founder and CEO)
When Nick Grey started his cordless vacuum business 20 years ago he took a big risk by handing a lot of control to a much bigger rival. The entrepreneur, who’d…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Zak Brown (McLaren Racing, CEO)
Zak Brown didn’t graduate high school – he was thrown out for fighting - but he loved sport. He watched his first Formula 1 race when he was 10, and became…
- The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line Business Awards 2025
Which business leader, or company, has had the most outstanding 12 months? What's been the biggest disaster or blunder? Evan Davis and guests look back over…
- The Bottom Line
Car Parks: Who's Making Money From Your Ticket?
It's an industry that has few fans, but how does it really work, and will there be enough spaces in future for the UK's growing fleet of cars? Evan Davis looks…
- The Bottom Line
Scaling Up: What Turns a Start-Up into a Success?
What does it take to grow a new enterprise? Evan Davis hears about the decisions behind creating a multi million-pound business. Founders share the challenges…
- The Bottom Line
Care Homes: How Will They Cope Without Migrant Workers?
Care homes are to be barred from recruiting overseas staff, as part of government plans to cut net migration, but will the sector be able to tempt enough…
- The Bottom Line
Presentations: How to Avoid 'Death By PowerPoint'
Few things in working life are as familiar or as dreaded as presentations, but done well they can persuade and even inspire. So what are the tricks to getting…
- The Bottom Line
Cyber Attacks: On The Front Line Of A Hack
Cyber criminals have seriously damaged some household names recently - M&S, Co-op, North Face, Harrods - but what really happens behind the scenes when a…
- The Bottom Line
Pay: What If You Knew What Your Colleagues Earned?
Discussing pay is one of society’s big taboos - it’s just not the done thing to ask other people what they earn. And it can be even more hush-hush in the…
- The Bottom Line
Introducing… The Bottom Line
The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week host Evan Davis is joined by company bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, who lift the lid on…
- The Bottom Line
Made in China: How To Get A Product Manufactured In The Far East
President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports have shaken up the global economic order, but why have so many brands turned to China to make their products in…
- The Bottom Line
The Decisions That Made Me: Richard Farleigh (Dragon’s Den, entrepreneur)
Richard Farleigh grew up poverty-stricken in outback Australia as one of eleven children. When he was an infant, he was taken into care and spent most of his…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Erinch Sahan (DEAL, Social Enterprise expert)
The child of immigrant parents to Australia, Erinch was taught to want a stable life. He was having a successful career at Proctor and Gamble, but one day had…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions that Made Me: Sophie O’Brien (Pollen Careers, CEO)
After 14 years of having a successful career in media, Sophie found herself unemployed. She thought with her skills and experience finding a new role would be…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Sir Kenneth Olisa (technology entrepreneur)
At a time when coding and IT was in its infancy, Sir Kenneth fortuitously took a computer class to get out of cross country running; that choice would shape…
- The Bottom Line
Decisions That Made Me: Chris May (Mayden, Founding Director)
When a family member gets sick, it can mean major changes to our lives. For Chris May, it meant he needed a role that could be done entirely from home. He quit…