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
Competence
From the NHS Test and Trace Service to the lack of PPE at the start of the pandemic - both projects branded as having been incompetently delivered. But do we…
- The Bottom Line
Sector Shutdown
How are industries like live music, travel, conferences and events coping with the pandemic recession - and what plans do they have for survival? These…
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Commercial Property Wars
Commercial landlords and tenants are at odds over unpaid rents due to the pandemic. Many retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are suffering acutely. Most…
- The Bottom Line
Bolton Business
How has the pandemic affected commerce in one English town? Bolton's economy has been struck particularly hard by this pandemic. Not only was it subjected to…
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COVID-19 and the gig economy
Is the pandemic a spur to a world of temps and zero hour contracts? Hundreds of thousands of people have been losing their jobs during the crisis. Many are…
- The Bottom Line
Cybersecurity
In modern business it's impossible not to be worried about a cyber attack of some form. But how do you lower your chances of attack and what do you do if…
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The economy - winter is coming
The second pandemic wave means UK businesses have to live with uncertainty for at least another six months. Those economic green shoots and the summer of 'eat…
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WPP boss Karen Blackett on obstacles to diversity in the workplace
WPP boss Karen Blackett talks to Evan Davis about building a racially diverse business.
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How to build a racially diverse business
The Black Lives Matter protests have prompted boardroom soul-searching about how to engage a more racially diverse workforce. Good intentions have been around…
- The Bottom Line
Transport after the pandemic
Has staying at home during lockdown made us think more about our travel habits? Are you less likely to want to get on a bus or a train to get to work or are…
- The Bottom Line
How we work now - lessons from lockdown
Zoom meetings and working from home. Two habits which office workers have picked up during the enforced lockdown. But will these behaviours habits stick? Some…
- The Bottom Line
Can science save the economy?
Evan Davis and guests ask if now is the time to exploit scientific research more effectively to help business recover from the coronavirus crash. The UK has…
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Post-pandemic resilience
During the pandemic, businesses have faced severe tests, from supply chain shocks to fluctuations in consumer demand. How resilient are companies in dealing…
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Consumer habits after lockdown
What have you learned about yourself in lockdown? What is it you crave, what have you found you barely miss? Evan Davis and guests contemplate life after…
- The Bottom Line
China
Will Western economies and companies decouple from China? For decades, the world has relied on this rapidly emerging economy as its factory, producing…
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Saving Companies
Should the government continue to bolster companies, large and small when lockdown is finally eased? If so what businesses do you choose to save and what are…
The Bottom LineBusiness hype
Can new businesses survive without some form of hype or over-promotion? Or will consumer or investor disillusionment inevitably correct this? One recent…
- The Bottom Line
Coronavirus and business
How will the infection affect commerce in the UK and around the world? Evan Davis and a panel of guests discuss what's happening to the economy and look at…
- The Bottom Line
The working week
Is our working week due for major reform? Will a move to a four day week - as proposed by the Labour Party in its recent General Election manifesto - ever…
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Couples in Business
What are the pros and cons of running a business with your life partner and how do you keep the personal out of your professional life? Evan Davis and guests…
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Dismissing staff
What are the rules when people have to lose their jobs? It's always a difficult situation - which is why it's often handled badly. Evan Davis and guests ask if…
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Business Gurus
Do business gurus really hold the secret to success? Peter Drucker, Michael Porter and Gary Hamel are some of those who've found fame and influence via…
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Managing Conflict
How should businesses deal with workplace quarrels? At a time when the nation seems increasingly divided and hot-tempered, is there a way to bring harmony…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
- The Bottom Line
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 Bottom Line
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…
- The Bottom Line
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…
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The Fitness Industry
Who wins and loses in the cut-throat exercise market? Looking good and being fit has become more important as we have become more wealthy. Yet most new gyms…
- The Bottom Line
The Last Mile
The package brought to your door may have crossed the globe - but the most expensive and fiddly bit of the journey will undoubtedly be what's known as 'the…
- The Bottom Line
Anti-Biotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a global problem but there have been no new drugs produced since the 1980s. So who is to blame? The public's over-consumption or the…
- The Bottom Line
Planning for uncertainty
Every business faces uncertainty. In the final programme of the series Evan Davis and guests ask what businesses should do when faced with uncertainty. Guests…
- The Bottom Line
Feedback frenzy
It's hard to buy anything these days without being asked to rate or review it. Evan Davis and guests look at how have businesses such as Tripadvisor, Feefo and…
- The Bottom Line
Internships
For many graduates an internship has become the default route to full-time, paid employment. But getting a good placement is competitive and in some cases…
- The Bottom Line
The personalisation revolution
Technological advances have made it easier for businesses to offer us more personalised goods and services, from customised cars to clothes that fit better and…
- The Bottom Line
Magazines
There are more than two-and-a-half thousand consumer and business magazine titles on sale in the UK. What is the appeal of magazines and how does the business…
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Are auditors fit for purpose?
What's the point of an audit if it fails to detect when a company's about to go under? The sudden collapse of BHS, Carillion and Patisserie Valerie has dented…
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Behavioural science in the workplace
Understanding how humans think and what makes them tick can be enormously helpful if you're running a company. Luckily behavioural science is on hand to do…
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University Businesses
Higher education in the UK is an astonishingly successful British industry, with an income of almost £35 billion a year. Universities have expanded hugely with…
- The Bottom Line
The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things promised to revolutionise the way we live and work but what has it delivered and what more is it capable of doing? Join Evan Davis and…
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Business in the era of #MeToo
Has the #MeToo movement made businesses change the way they deal with sexual harassment and gender equality claims in the workplace? Does the law around…
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Super-premium drinks
There has been an explosion in the number of craft ale breweries and small-scale gin distilleries in recent years. The so-called super premium alcohol sector…
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The Experience Economy
There is some evidence to suggest we are falling out of love with buying material things. Instead, we want to splash out creating memories that last a…
- The Bottom Line
Plastics
Plastic is arguably one of the world's greatest inventions. Its' qualities allow it to be used in everything from food packaging to clothes and cars. But…
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Shortages
No supply chain is immune from disruption and shocks. From extreme weather to strikes and cyber crime, what causes a supply chain to fail? Join Evan Davis and…
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Rewriting the rules of Business
Business has undergone seismic changes over the past decade; do the rules of business need to be re-written? If so, who should write them and what should they…
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The Festival Business
There are thousands of festivals in the UK each year and millions of us go to them. But as an organiser how do you make any money? Do logistics and the British…
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Advertising
The UK has been a global leader in the Advertising Industry since the end of the last century. But like many businesses it's now facing disruption from…
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How does the commodities business work?
Commodities are the raw materials which oil the wheels of the modern economy. From minerals to crude oil to coffee, Evan Davis and guests look at how the…
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Why do companies do bad things?
Social media giants mishandle data, banks mis-sell PPI insurance, engineers arrange for cars to cheat emissions tests. Why do companies sometimes do bad…
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Should CEOs have term limits?
In some countries politicians have fixed term limits. What would happen if the same principle applied to CEOs? On average bosses in the UK stay for just under…
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Franchising
Is becoming a franchisee a good way to start your own business? Evan Davis and guests discuss the ups and downs of franchising. GUESTS Ken Deary, Franchisor…
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Is any company ever invulnerable?
Facebook, Apple, Google, or Amazon. Dominant companies that today look unassailable. But similar claims were made about MySpace, Tesco, Microsoft, Kodak and…
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Will 5G revolutionise our lives?
The next generation of mobile technology - 5G - will be rolled out from 2019. It will enable faster streaming on our mobile phones and tablets and speed up the…
- The Bottom Line
Teenage Business Entrepreneurs
As children few of us have had experience of running a business. But this week we'll be hearing from four teenage entrepreneurs who have been honing their…