The Bottom Line
by BBC Radio 4
Latest episode
Business Dilemmas: What Do You Do?
Business Dilemmas: What Do You Do?
About this podcast
Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show with people at the top giving insight into what matters
Episodes
The newest 50 of 441 episodes
- Business Dilemmas: What Do You Do? · 42 minHear how business leaders react when confronted with unforeseen and awkward crises at work. Presenter Evan Davis reveals three fictional scenarios to his guests. None of them…
- Redemption · 36 minPost-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? Riordan Maynard was…
- Unlocking the North · 42 min'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 spending powers…
- Are Subscriptions a Good Deal? · 37 minWhy 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 – predictable income for…
- Germany: From Wunder to Woe · 35 minWhat 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 been very little…
- Antiques · 48 minIf 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 shows where people…
- Drones: Small machines, big business · 31 minDrones are no longer simply small flying cameras. They’re being used to fight wars, find people lost at sea, inspect infrastructure and gather intelligence. Evan Davis and guests…
- Trainer Wars · 37 minThe 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 trainers they were…
- The Bottom Line Business Awards 2026 · 34 minFrom breakthrough products and inspiring leadership to marketing disasters and strategic own goals, a panel of business leaders choose the winners and losers from the last 12…
- Twenty Years in Business · 44 minThe 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 just gone public and…
- Imposter Syndrome · 33 minSuccess 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 with a nagging fear…
- The Costs and Benefits of Business Regulation · 34 minFew 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 industries. However…
- Digital Nomads · 34 minA 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 flexibility: one…
- When brands collaborate · 34 minWhether 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 having such a…
- How the oil industry works · 38 minWhat 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 hundred million…
- Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered · 37 minEvan 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 find the information…
- Product Innovation: Better, Or Just New? · 32 minFrom smartphones to trainers, confectionary and cleaning products, we live in a culture of constant updates. Companies reformulate, redesign and refresh their products in a…
- How Do You Deal with a Workplace Bully? · 32 minAcross our professional careers, many of us will come into contact with a difficult colleague or hard-to-please superior. But what happens when difficult behaviour crosses over…
- Private Renting: Who Wants to Be a Landlord? · 35 minThe 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 priced out of home…
- Dynamic Pricing: Who Profits? · 35 minEveryone 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 different people…
- What Happens When Brands Change Hands? · 33 minFrom headline deals like Vodafone-Three or home builder, Barratt buying rival, Redrow, corporate mergers and takeovers are on the rise. Evan Davis and guests take a fresh look at…
- Airport Lounges: For the Many or the Few? · 33 minIn 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 that begins before…
- Boom And Bust: Is AI The New Dotcom Bubble? · 36 minRight now, Artificial Intelligence feels unstoppable. Investors are piling in, expectations are sky-high and claims about a radically different future are everywhere. To anyone…
- USPs: What Is The UK Good At? · 32 minEvery 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 - and swagger. So…
- Decisions That Made Me: Ben Branson (Seedlip) · 14 minFrustrated by the lack of sophisticated non-alcoholic drink options, Ben Branson began experimenting in his kitchen, distilling herbs from his garden to create an alcohol-free…
- Decisions That Made Me: Margaret Heffernan · 16 minMargaret 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 documentaries. But she…
- Decisions That Made Me – Joey Gonzalez (Barry’s) · 22 minWhen 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 was life-changing…
- Decisions That Made Me: Sameer Vuyyuru · 14 minSameer Vuyyuru has spent his career at the cutting edge of technology. From building semiconductors at Texas Instruments to launching an AI-startup in Shanghai, he’s now chief…
- Decisions That Made Me: Harry Destecroix (Ziylo, Science Creates, SCVC) · 14 minHarry 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 created a new…
- Decisions That Made Me: Sophie Mirman · 14 minSophie 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 later, Sophie felt…
- Decisions That Made Me: Jesper Brodin (IKEA) · 14 minWhen 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 iconic Swedish…
- Decisions That Made Me: Heather Vernon (Woburn Partners) · 15 minHeather Vernon never expected to become an entrepreneur. Her goal after university was to become a teacher, through the Teach First graduate programme - two years of intense…
- Hypotheticals: How Would You React If You Were Boss? · 32 minThree business leaders tackle fictional dilemmas that test their instincts, experience and nerves. To make it more realistic, none of the guests have any idea what the scenarios…
- Productivity: How Can British Business Work Smarter? · 34 minProductivity 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. In this episode…
- Introverts: Can Quiet Voices Conquer The Corporate World? · 39 minDo you ever feel the world is stacked in favour of the extrovert people – the most gregarious, the most outwardly confident, the perhaps sometimes sharp-elbowed, the loudest?…
- Human Resources: Is HR Out of Control? · 32 minOnce 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 Christmas party…
- Chaos Management: Do Fewer Rules Make For Better Workplaces? · 34 minCan 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 high-profile figures…
- Spinouts: How Can Universities Turn Research Into Successful Businesses? · 31 minWhat 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 UK, Oxford alone…
- Direct to Consumer: A Better Way to Sell? · 33 minIt'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 discuss the pros and cons…
- Decisions That Made Me: Greg Jackson (Octopus Energy) · 16 minBorn in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Greg Jackson left school at 16 to write computer games, later joining Greenpeace before returning to study economics at Cambridge. Growing up in…
- Decisions That Made Me: Charlie Bowes-Lyon (Wild) · 13 minIn 2019, Charlie Bowes-Lyon co-founded Wild with childhood friend Freddy Ward, frustrated by the lack of sustainable options in personal care. Their first product — a refillable…
- Decisions That Made Me: Mark Dixon (IWG) · 13 minMark 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 after watching…
- Decisions That Made Me: Thomas Beahon (Castore Co-Founder) · 19 minTom 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 dream: building a…
- Decisions That Made Me: Anthony Eskinazi (JustPark Founder) · 16 minWhen 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 while trying to get…
- Decisions That Made Me: Joanna Jensen (Childs Farm Founder) · 17 minWhen 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 founder was just about to…
- Decisions That Made Me: Nick Grey (Gtech, Founder and CEO) · 17 minWhen 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 designed and built…
- Decisions That Made Me: Zak Brown (McLaren Racing, CEO) · 18 minZak 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 captivated by the…
- The Bottom Line Business Awards 2025 · 32 minWhich 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 business highs…
- Car Parks: Who's Making Money From Your Ticket? · 33 minIt'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 under the bonnet…
- Scaling Up: What Turns a Start-Up into a Success? · 32 minWhat 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 of shifting from…
