The Bottom Line
Episodes
Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the UK gets ready to host a major global summit on the safety of artificial intelligence, Evan Davis speaks to one of the technology's leading glob...
Tradespeople
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From plumbers to electricians, plasterers to builders, most of us need to hire a trader at some point. But what's it like to work in the industry, and...
Back to the office
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many employers say they are desperate to get staff back into the office more often, but what's the best and fairest way to wean employees off remote w...
Does Funny Sell?
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is humour the most effective way to get your product noticed? If so, why does it seem that the use of comedy in advertising is in decline? Recent re...
What next for water?
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
England’s water companies are under fire – there’s public anger over sewage spills and leaks, and now regulators and government ministers are wo...
Business on 'the box'
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From The Office and Succession to The Apprentice and Dragons' Den, does the portrayal of business on television inspire or is it a total turn off to b...
Pre-loved
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Demand for pre-loved goods has surged in the UK in recent years, with fashion, books and furniture especially popular. So what’s driving this boom i...
Dame Sharon White
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose are possibly two of the most trusted brands in retail. This week, Evan Davis interviews Dame Sharon White, who ...
Managing millennials (and Gen Z)
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Younger workers want unlimited holiday, refuse to give up remote working, and are constantly looking for their next job, or so the cliché goes. Mille...
Flying Circus?
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Covid restrictions were eased last year, the demand to travel abroad by air overtook the readiness of the industry to cope, leading to thousands of...
Are supermarkets profiteering?
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grocery stores are under pressure – with food inflation still near record highs, some have accused them of profiteering and the UK’s competition w...
Business Books
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a great business book and how do you make practical advice on a subject like accounting a riveting read? What makes you more likely to rea...
How to Hire
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's the best way to recruit people who have the right skills for the job, but are also the right cultural fit for your business? And how do you do ...
Powered by AI
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Machines now have the ability to write novels, create works of art, or compose original songs thanks to artificial intelligence. In future the technol...
Running Rolls Royce
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Warren East has run two of the UK's most successful companies, ARM and Rolls Royce Holdings. During his tenure at ARM he oversaw a rapid growth of t...
Podcasting
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It seems these days everyone is making a podcast, from Michelle Obama and Kate Hudson to Alastair Campbell and Dua Lipa. Covering every subject from h...
The French correction?
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The French work fewer hours, take longer holidays and retire earlier than UK employees, but they are also more productive and their economy is therefo...
Too much choice?
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever felt bamboozled by the sheer range of biscuits at your local supermarket or in a quandary over which pair of headphones to buy from the...
How Strikes Come to an End
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Current strike action across the UK led to more than a million lost working days in 2022, the worst industrial strife the nation has experienced since...
Opportunists and Optimists
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the UK struggles with recession, Evan Davis talks to four business people who are not afraid to be bulls in a bear market. Does a recession offer ...
Turning Passion into Profit
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Col Needham set up his first business at the age of 14 designing and selling games software for computers. But his real love, since the age of 5, has...
A new era for the housing market?
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What will higher interest rates on borrowing money mean for the property market and what happens if house prices fall? Evan Davis discusses mortgages ...
The business of being a GP
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the very beginning of the NHS, GP surgeries have been, in effect, businesses with contracts to do the work the Health Service needs. But in rece...
Dealing in Defence
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Davis looks at the UK's defence industry to find out how it is responding to the war in Ukraine and whether socially conscious investors are begi...
Changing Tack
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your business vision doesn't stack up or your long-standing business needs to make changes to keep up with a changing market and cus...
Has Britain stopped working?
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Davis asks why there are more job vacancies in Britain than there are people looking for work. Unemployment used to be a big problem, but now bus...
Excess Profits, Windfall Taxes and Incentives
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is it right that businesses making what look like windfall profits pay windfall taxes? And do the recent announcements from the government to lower ...
Little Boxes?
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The government target for building houses in the UK is 300,000 a year, but over the past few years only around 60 per cent of that number have been co...
Russian Exodus
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of western businesses have decided to stop operating in Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. But what does leaving Russia actually ...
Woke or Broke?
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From Disney to the Halifax bank, companies are increasingly willing to take a stance on everything. But what is driving this trend and will it continu...
'Sorry, all our agents are busy right now'
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why does it seem so hard to contact a business these days? It's almost like they deliberately hide their phone numbers from us. When we do manage to r...
Employment Tribunals
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What to expect when a workplace dispute ends up in court. Thousands of people lodge grievances relating to their jobs directly with their employers, a...
How to run a petrol station
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As petrol and diesel prices hit record highs, Evan Davis looks at the economics of running a petrol station. There's an allegation motorists are being...
Online Reviews
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can we trust the wisdom of the crowd on online review platforms? Evan Davis and guests discuss how businesses can harness this knowledge to their adva...
The price of bread
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The 'crust' of living: Evan Davis looks at the spiralling costs of baking a loaf of bread. On top of rising energy bills the industry is having to kee...
Business and Energy
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How will soaring energy costs affect UK corporations? Prices are spiking, not least because of the war in Ukraine. Energy is essential for everything...
Levelling Up
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Davis and guests examine the prospects for business in this government priority for increasing economic activity beyond the Southeast of England....
Changing China
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How will shifts in China's economic policies affect global commerce? The nation is the world's second-biggest economy and it's been the centre of glob...
Russia and the global economy
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What will the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine be for the world's economy - and for us? From the effects on the energy markets to the tough san...
Buy Now, Pay Later
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's behind the explosion in popularity of Klarna and its competitors? Most of us have found ourselves wanting something that we can’t quite affor...
Alcohol-free drinks
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Like alcohol, but don't want to drink? For the "sober-curious" consumer there's a range of low-alcohol alternatives on the market from gins and spirit...
The Price Shock
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Prices are rising - but are we heading into an unprecedented economic period? So far, wages haven't yet followed. How different is what's going on now...
Your childhood in the workplace
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Psychotherapist Naomi Shragai talks to Evan Davis about how our emotional baggage can harm our work life.. She advises businesses and employees on how...
Conflict at Work
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Davis and guests discuss how best to resolve disputes between colleagues - both making the best of it and avoiding the worst. Despite our best ef...
Class in the workplace
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can companies create a level playing field for applicants and employees from lower socio-economic backgrounds? Evan Davis and guests discuss the s...
The Lottery Business
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The National Lottery contract is up for grabs. While the results aren't scheduled to be announced until early 2022, the bids are in and being consider...
The Quick Commerce Economy
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Davis looks at the expanding world of ultrafast home delivery. App-based firms like Getir promise to get a grocery order to your home in just 10 ...
Carbon Capture
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can carbon capture save the planet - and make money? The government has announced millions of pounds of funding to support the UK's emerging carbon ca...
Hybrid working
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 2020, the pandemic hit, and the world locked down. Suddenly white-collar staff went from working in the office, to working remotely. But now we are...
Labour shortages and the new model economy
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Labour shortages, particularly in the hospitality and HGV sector have dominated the headlines from petrol shortages, to worries about Christmas dinner...
Clinical Trials
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The extraordinary success of the creation of vaccines for Covid-19 has made the business of clinical trials look simple. But appearances can be decep...
Carbon labelling
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Should consumers be told the carbon footprint of the products they buy? And if so, how? In recent years, a shift in customer attitudes towards climate...
Rolling out electric vehicles
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Electric vehicles are a hot topic. Nissan has announced it will construct a factory to produce EVs, while the government says no new vehicles running ...
The Purple Pound
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The spending power of disabled people and their families - the so-called purple pound - is valued at £249 billion a year. So is there a competitive ...
The Future of Cruises
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly 20 years, the cruise industry experienced huge growth. Then a pandemic hit. After a year of forking out for boats docked in port and devast...
Sound of the suburbs
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For years the suburbs have been seen as places to live, from which you can commute to a big city to work. But has the pandemic pushed the economic pen...
Ramping up capacity
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can businesses cope with supply shortages? Car factories across the world have had to shut down because they can't get hold of enough silicon chip...
The future of money
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has given a nudge to the decline of cash. If that is the past - what is the future for our payments system? Could it simply be cards link...
Billionaires
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you have billions it's impossible to spend it all on yourself and your family. So what else do you do? Join the space race like Elon Musk and J...
Hydrogen future
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s all around us and has pride of place in the periodic table. Hydrogen is the number one element. For decades it’s been hailed as a potentially...
How to set up an EU subsidiary.
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Since Brexit, many companies have had to set up a subsidiary operation in the EU to continue trading. What are the rules, regulations, pitfalls and co...
The Satellite Business
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The government wants to boost the UK's growing space industry through its £400 m investment in satellite communications firm OneWeb. The company is ...
The Reddit Revolutionaries
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The rush on shares by individual investors, into struggling US video game store chain Gamestop was portrayed as an attempt by a new breed of retail in...
Net Zero in the house
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the business opportunities in turning our old housing stock green? The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe – most o...
The Covid Hangover
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the long-term implications for the Covid crisis for the British economy. The government has borrowed more money over the last 12 months than ...
Return to Brexit
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Almost five years ago on The Bottom Line - just before the EU referendum – debated the pros and cons of being in the EU. In a tribute to Radio 4’s...
Competence
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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. Bu...
Sector Shutdown
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How are industries like live music, travel, conferences and events coping with the pandemic recession - and what plans do they have for survival? Thes...
Commercial Property Wars
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Commercial landlords and tenants are at odds over unpaid rents due to the pandemic. Many retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are suffering acut...
Bolton Business
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 subj...
COVID-19 and the gig economy
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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. Man...
Cybersecurity
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The economy - winter is coming
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
WPP boss Karen Blackett on obstacles to diversity in the workplace
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
WPP boss Karen Blackett talks to Evan Davis about building a racially diverse business.
How to build a racially diverse business
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Black Lives Matter protests have prompted boardroom soul-searching about how to engage a more racially diverse workforce. Good intentions have bee...
Transport after the pandemic
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How we work now - lessons from lockdown
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Zoom meetings and working from home. Two habits which office workers have picked up during the enforced lockdown. But will these behaviours habits sti...
Can science save the economy?
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Post-pandemic resilience
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
During the pandemic, businesses have faced severe tests, from supply chain shocks to fluctuations in consumer demand. How resilient are companies in d...
Consumer habits after lockdown
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 af...
China
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Will Western economies and companies decouple from China? For decades, the world has relied on this rapidly emerging economy as its factory, producing...
Saving Companies
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Business hype
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can new businesses survive without some form of hype or over-promotion? Or will consumer or investor disillusionment inevitably correct this? One rece...
Coronavirus and business
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 lo...
The working week
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 - ...
Couples in Business
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
Dismissing staff
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 gues...
Business Gurus
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 vi...
Managing Conflict
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 har...
Insolvency
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 int...
Plant-based foods
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How can business benefit from the popularity of vegetarian and vegan products in supermarkets and restaurants? One in eight of us identifies as veget...
Cryptocurrencies
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Will Facebook's launch of its own cryptocurrency be a game changer? What will this mean for established currencies and the global banking system? Eva...
The Future of Commercial Aviation
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How can the aviation industry marry sustainability with increasing passenger numbers? Since the deregulation of Europe's airlines in the late 1990s, m...
Lessons of Theranos
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 star...
The investment industry - luck or judgement?
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 investm...
The discounters
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Poundland, Lidl, B&M Bargains and Primark are thriving successes on the High Street, while more mainstream retailers have seen their profits hit. ...
Pivoting
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 n...
Commerce and Crime
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
From Somali pirates who've turned kidnapping into a global enterprise to cybercrime and fraud - the worlds of business and wrongdoing potentially hav...
The Fitness Industry
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ne...
The Last Mile
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...