Entrepreneurs discuss how much money you need to start a business - and where to get it from - with Evan Davis.

Why do some start-ups require millions and others just a few hundred pounds? And what are the benefits and pitfalls of finding investors on the web? It's called crowd-funding and many consider it to be the next big thing in venture capital.

Guests:

The food industry is increasingly in the spotlight as consumers and government worry about obesity, sustainability and safety.

Evan Davis finds out from three very different food companies about how their supply chains work and how much oversight any company leader can have. Guests discuss how to create an efficient and cost effective system that delivers on quality and safety. Do consumers elsewhere in Europe and the world demand the same level of locally-sourced credentials as the British now do and are these ideals worthwhile?

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Producer: Lucy Proctor.

Travel companies have recently had to weather the storms of recession for their customers and major upheaval at popular holiday destinations around the world.

Evan Davis finds out how airlines and tour companies plan for their seasonal business in light of economic crisis in Greece and political unrest in Egypt and North Africa - getting it wrong could lead to financial disaster. And guests will discuss the future for Greece, where tourism is seen as the biggest hope for reviving the economy.

Guests:

Producer: Lucy Proctor.

Recruitment companies discuss the marks left by recession on their businesses and the employment market.

Companies in the eye of the storm when the economy first collapsed have had to adapt to stay in business. Evan Davis finds out the survival strategies of three recruiters in very different markets - from board level headhunting to finding seasonal temps and mid-level professionals.

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Producer : Rosamund Jones.

Evan Davis meets "appreneurs" trying to make money in a marketplace where traditional business rules do not apply. Becoming an appreneur is easy. All you need is a computer and a couple of hundred pounds. And an idea of course. No surprise perhaps that thousands of new apps are created every week to serve the ever growing smart phone and tablet computer market. But what happens next? How do you make a living if your product is free? And if you sell your app, how high can you go when buyers expect a lot for very little? And how do you market to customers without knowing who they are?

Guests :

Producer : Rosamund Jones.

Education and how to make a profit from it is the focus for Evan and his three guests this week - each of them business leaders in the learning sector.

From low-cost private schools in Ghana to no-frills law courses and a University of Liverpool campus in China, our guests will share their business lessons on how to build a reputation and how to price a good education. They'll also talk about the challenges of taking on traditional, public institutions as well as the technological advances that look set to transform learning over the next 20 years.

As usual, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion and spin to present a clearer view of the business world.

Guests this week are Carl Lygo, Chief executive of BPP; Professor Sir Howard Newby, Vice Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and Professor James Tooley, chairman of Omega Schools.

Series producer: Helen Grady

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

It's said that the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start with a large one. Evan Davis and his guests explore just how profitable selling crushed grapes really is. How do they convince consumers they are offering quality and value?

Joining Evan in the studio are Graham Sumeray, CEO Fine + Rare; Dan Jago, Category Director (Beers, Wines and Spirits) at Tesco's; Alok Mathur, co-founder and director Soul Tree Wines.

Editor: Innes Bowen.

Evan Davis asks his guests what it takes to rescue a sinking company.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

From huge infrastructure projects to supplying civil servants with paperclips, there's big money to be made from public sector contracts. Evan Davis meets three business leaders with experience of bidding for - and securing - government contracts and finds out what it's like doing business with the state. How easy is it for smaller companies to get a slice of the public sector pie? And are we - the ultimate customers - really getting a good deal?

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.

You go to a shopping centre and you find an ice rink. Or you go to a bookstore for a glass of wine. So is this the new world of retail? Evan Davis and his panel of top business brains explore what's in store for physical shopping. They also swap thoughts on what makes a good shop assistant.

Joining Evan in the studio are Sir Stuart Rose, former Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer and soon to take over as Chairman of online grocery retailer Ocado; Berndt Hauptkorn, Chief Executive of the European arm of Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo; Andy Street, Managing Director of department store chain John Lewis.

Producer: Ben Crighton