Business Daily

We found out why the dating guru swapped a career in investment banking to become a matchmaker. Now famous for his role in the hit TV show ‘Married at First Sight’, Paul Carrick Brunson explains how his current career path wasn’t always written in the stars. But a combination of business acumen, the backing of his partner and a touch of luck led to a lucrative trade in matchmaking.He explains his core business principles and gives his top tips for discussing money in a relationship.(Image: Paul Carrick Brunson. Credit: Chris Bethell)Presenter: Devina Gupta Producer: Sam Clack

It's been two months since the collapse of the key bridge in Baltimore, and the deadline to unblock the port's shipping channel is imminent. The US government has given a loose promise to make it happen by the end of May - but there are doubts that deadline will be met, causing more disruption to the local and global economy. How will businesses on sea and land find a way through more uncertainty?Izzy Greenfield speaks to small businesses who are feeling the impact; from fewer customers to disruption to supply chains.Baltimore used to rank first among US ports for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year. Importantly, the port is where vehicles are processed and labelled to be sold domestically. We hear how the industry is seeing an immediate impact. And we learn about the struggles that transportation workers continue to face.(Image: Baltimore bridge after it collapsed in March 2024. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Izzy Greenfield

Most of us have noticed the prices of our weekly food shopping going up over the last few years, but some items have risen by astronomical amounts.Extra virgin olive oil - a premium, unprocessed oil from the olive, has seen many customers' prices rise by 50% in the past year alone. We explain why, as we hear from oil sommeliers and the people who buy and sell the product.(Image: Olive oil being poured into a bowl. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Rick Kelsey

Female-only co-working spaces started to grow during the #metoo movement. But some have struggled. We speak to entrepreneurs who are running these spaces - and the women working in them. Are they a viable alternative to going to the office? (Picture: Oi Leng Lui, who founded the co-working space, The Hearth, in north London.)Presented and produced by Dougal Shaw

Laura Chinchilla was the first woman to serve as president of Costa Rica and one of the first in Latin America.We talk to her about what that journey to the top job in her country was like, and the challenges facing Latin America - from corruption to crime, the drugs trade, migration, the brain drain, poor governance and low economic productivity. And we consider some of the potential solutions to those problems - solutions that could help Latin America bring prosperity to its people.(Picture: Laura Chinchilla Miranda, former President of Costa Rica, speaking at a conference. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Gideon Long

Across the region, there are examples of economic success stories: countries, companies and people that are getting things right, transforming their local economies and bringing prosperity to the region.We go to Peru, where fruit producers are enjoying a blueberry boom. We hear from Uruguay, which generates almost all its electricity from renewable energy, and we visit a factory Mexico that’s benefiting from “nearshoring” and the country’s proximity to the United States.We talk to two female entrepreneurs – one from Chile and one from Colombia – on how the ecosystem for start-ups has evolved in their countries and the exciting possibilities the region has to offer.Produced and presented by Gideon Long(Image: Close-up on a worker loading baskets of blueberries on a truck at a plantation. Credit: Getty Images)

From soybean production to coffee exports to sugar cane, grains and tropical fruit - agriculture is powering the Brazilian economy.We travel to a farm outside the capital Brasilia, and look at how the country could play a major role in providing the world with food security in the years ahead.And we consider a major threat to agriculture – climate change, which is forcing Brazilian farmers to adapt to survive.We talk to the Brazilian head of the International Coffee Organisation – on what her home country can do to deal with extreme weather events.And away from agriculture, we consider Brazil’s heavy industry, and ask why it hasn’t made more of its rich musical heritage.Produced and presented by Gideon Long.(Image: Cultivation of sugarcane in the interior of the State of São Paulo. Huge areas are cultivated and after harvesting will come sugar, alcohol, drink and ethanol. Credit: Getty Images)

Go back 50 years and Latin America was generally wealthier than East Asia. But that has been reversed. While the economies of East and South East Asia have taken off, enjoying a so-called "economic miracle", Latin America’s have experienced only tepid growth, despite the region’s enormous potential. Gideon Long asks why.We go to Singapore, one of the most open and business friendly nations on earth, to visit a factory making credit cards using the latest computer chips. And we ask economists what Latin America can learn from the 'Asian Tigers'.(Image: A photograph of a tourist boat in Singapore next to a drone view shot showing buildings in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Credit: Reuters/EPA)Presented and produced by Gideon Long Reporter: Monica Miller

It's a region blessed with incredible natural resources, from copper to lithium to rich agricultural lands. It’s home to vibrant cultures, amazing music and creative and talented people.And yet it has never fulfilled its enormous economic potential. All too often it’s lurched from boom to bust, from hyperinflation to debt crises.We ask why that is. We consider corruption, crime, inequality, excessive bureaucracy and weak governance. We look at Argentina’s long decline and Venezuela’s economic implosion, and ask what Latin America can do to bring greater prosperity to its people.Produced and presented by Gideon Long(Image: A man waves an Argentine flag during the demonstration. Members of the Argentine Workers' General Confederation and social organizations protested against new Argentine President Javier Milei's economic reforms, outside the Justice Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Getty Images)

We head to the robot workshop home of Marty the robotical.Sandy Enoch founded the Scottish tech firm Robotical which creates educational robots.Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.(Image: Marty the robot)

Where next for the sometimes tricky relationship between football and crypto companies? We look at how some of the biggest clubs, and players, have embraced crypto products, and what that means for supporters. From fan engagement tokens to NFTs, advertised by the world’s biggest stars, to deals with Premier League clubs which turned out to be fraudulent. Is it putting fans in a potentially difficult financial position? Or just giving them another way to support the team they love?Produced and presented by Imran Rahman-Jones(Referee Arda Kardeşler performs the pregame toss with a coin bearing the Bitcoin logo for a match between Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe on May 8, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Getty Images)

Picture a rock 'n' roll icon like Jimmy Page, or Jimi Hendrix, and they've probably got an electric guitar in their hands.But, as classic rock - and classic rockers - continue to age, is the guitar industry struggling to attract younger customers?In six years, electric guitar company Gibson has gone from filing for bankruptcy to opening its first flagship store outside the US. We hear from Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Grammy nominated singer James Bay, and one of the world's foremost female luthiers to find out whether the guitar's association with rock 'n' roll has become bad for business.(Image: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin performing on stage at Earl's Court, London, May 1975. Jimmy Page is playing a Gibson EDS-1275 double necked guitar. Credit: Getty Images)Presented and produced by Will Chalk

Sports betting is a relatively new industry in the US. Until 2018 you could only legally bet on sports in the state on Nevada, the home to Las Vegas. New Jersey was the first state to legalise sports betting six years ago and since then, a total of 38 states across America have done the same.Hannah Mullane looks at how the industry has grown so rapidly and discusses the consequences of the industry which has been allowed to evolve with very little regulation.(Produced and presented by Hannah Mullane)(Image: Detroit Lions fans pose prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Levi's Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. Image credit: Getty)

Stella, Dawa and Salome arrived at the Bidi Bidi refugee camp in north-western Uganda with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Now, all three are entrepreneurs and businesswomen, running thriving businesses and earning enough money to clothe, feed and send their children to school. Can their stories help development agencies and governments deliver support to those most in need?(Picture: Salome, picking crops in a field in Uganda. Copyright: Village Enterprise)Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick

The Nigerian-born businessman tells us about his journey from working in a fast food restaurant and facing racism from some customers, to being inspired to start his own business in London.He also talks about the influence of his Christian faith on his business decisions - and how it opened up a network of business connections which allowed his property portfolio to grow.Sanmi Adegoke's Rehoboth group has now undertaken more than 20 major renovation projects and has £35m worth of property assets under its management.Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.(Image: Sanmi Adegoke. Credit: A&O Studios)

The Eurovision Song Contest has transformed itself from a TV show experiment to the world's largest live music event. 160 million people are expected to watch this year's competition in Sweden, as 37 countries take part. The acts participating will be hoping to become global superstars following the likes of ABBA, Celine Dion and Måneskin.And outside of the competition many fans around have turned their love of Eurovision into a business: from side-hustles to songwriters. We hear their stories and learn about the economics of having a winning song, and discover the plans for the first ever Eurovision world tour.Produced and presented by Daniel Rosney(Image: Malta entry Sarah Bonnici rehearsing Loop at this year's Eurovison. Credit: Connie Cumming/EBU)

In Scotland in the 1980s, a slump in the whisky market brought about the closure of some of the country's most iconic distilleries. These sites become known as 'ghost' distilleries - where spirit production has stopped, but where some stock is still available. In this programme, Elizabeth Hotson will be discovering why some of these distilleries are now being brought back to life. She visits the legendary Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay for its much-anticipated re-opening and hears from the master blender there, and she takes a tour of London’s fabled Vintage House. A whisky writer explains what makes a truly great dram and we learn why investors need to be careful if they’re planning to jump on the whisky bandwagon.(Picture: A bottle of Port Ellen whisky bottled in 1980. Credit: Elizabeth Hotson/BBC)Presented and produced by Elizabeth Hotson

Elton John, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran - all artists who've had sell-out world tours in recent years. And new markets, such as India, are being added to the global tour map. But the same can’t be said for smaller venues. In the UK and Australia, the lights are off, and thousands are closing their doors. We hear from musicians, promoters and the people who run venues; asking why there’s such a contrast between sell out stadium tours and struggling grassroots venues. And we see what the future could hold for India's live music scene. Produced and presented by Megan Lawton(Image: Ed Sheeran performing in Mumbai, India in 2017. Credit: Getty Images)

Ed Butler travels to Kosovo to find out what the prospects are for this young, ethnically divided population. After Ukraine, it's Europe's poorest region, where a brutal past still casts a shadow. But it's also a territory full of economic promise – with precious minerals buried underground, and vast vineyards. If only the politics would stop getting in the way.(Image: A wine maker in Kosovo, Milan Lakicevic, standing in front of stainless steel tanks, while holding a bottle of his wine.)Presented and produced by Ed Butler

Meet Sharvari, Belinda and Brenna, three female bike mechanics from different corners of the world. From setting up a female run workshop in India, teaching skills to other women, or working within elite sport: these three are all making a living in the male dominated world of bike mechanics. Hear their stories and find out what happened when we got them all talking to each other.Presenter/producer: Lexy O'Connor(Photo: Bicycle mechanic Belinda Everett, Credit: Ryan Goff, #rygoff)