The Bottom Line

Making money from old phones, engines and plastic bottles is the topic for Evan Davis and guests.

Guests

Producer : Rosamund Jones.

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;

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

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 Europe

Carolyn Komminsk, Head of Creative, Maclaren

Bill Noble, Managing Director, WD40 Company

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

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

Producer : Rosamund Jones.

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 :

Producer : Rosamund Jones.

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

Producer : Rosamund Jones.

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

Producer : Sally Abrahams.

Serving the super-rich: what do the seriously wealthy do with their money? How do they preserve or spend their multi-million or even billion pound fortunes? And who is helping them manage those assets? With more billionaires in the world than ever before, working for the very rich is a growth industry. Whether finding staff for their superyacht or helping them give away the money, there's a raft of businesses ready to serve the ultra high net worth individual. Evan Davis talks to three firms whose job is to serve the wealthy elite.

Guests:

Richard Wilson, CEO, Billionaire Family Office

Karen Clark, Director and Head of Private Clients, SandAire

Lucy Challenger, Manager, Bespoke Bureau

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Turning up the heat: the new energy companies breaking into a market dominated by big established firms. Evan Davis meets two small entrants to the sector to find out how they're gaining market share. Is the strategy to compete on price, customer service or green credentials? He'll discuss the role of the price comparison websites in encouraging customers to switch providers and hear how some smaller companies are cutting gas and electricity bills when their bigger rivals aren't.

Guests:

Dale Vince, Founder and CEO, Ecotricity

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder and Managing Director, Ovo Energy

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Corporate turnaround and transformational tales. Evan Davis and guests discuss how companies fail, struggle and find their way again.

Guests:

Bruno Cercley, CEO of Rossignol Group

Producer: Kent DePinto.