PODCAST

Zoë Chapman: The power of networks and networking in growing a business | Small Business Sessions (S9E6)

Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events

Posted: Wed 19th Nov 2025

The Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation's podcast, is back for a ninth exciting series of inspiring entrepreneurial stories and expert business tips!

The podcast is powered by the business.connected online training programme and our partner Vodafone Business.

Episode six: Zoë Chapman, The Whizzer

Joining freelance journalist Dan Martin for the sixth episode is Zoë Chapman, founder of The Whizzer, the revolutionary portable toilets for adults and children.

Zoë started her business in 2020 while recovering from spinal surgery. She decided to turn into reality a portable toilet invention she had come up with in 2015 when she was potty training her son and looking after her disabled father.

Since then, she has gone on to sell thousands of products and land an investment deal on BBC TV's Dragons' Den.

Throughout her journey, networks and networking have been crucial to Zoë's success. That includes embracing the benefits of Enterprise Nation, finding a trusted manufacturer via a fellow entrepreneur, getting Instagram followers to test products and recruiting customers as business advisers.

Topics discussed in the episode include:

Finding a manufacturer with a limited budget and getting the product manufactured.
How Enterprise Nation has helped her business.
How a customer helped Zoë get stocked in a national retailer.
The impact of appearing on TV's Dragons' Den.
The other female entrepreneurs who inspire and influence Zoë.

Listen to the audio podcast

Where to listen, watch and subscribe

You can also listen on other platforms and Enterprise Nation.

You can watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube.

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Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events

I'm a freelance content creator and event host who helps small businesses and the organisations that support them. I'm also Enterprise Nation's Local Leader for Bristol. I have 20 years of experience as a small business journalist having interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs from famous names like Sir Richard Branson and Deborah Meaden to the founders behind brand new start-ups. I've worked for a range of leading small business publications and support groups, most recently as head of content at Enterprise Nation where I was responsible for the prolific output of content on the company's blog and social media. I now freelance for Enterprise Nation as the website's news reporter and as the host of the Small Business sessions podcast. I'm based in Bristol where I run and host regular events with the local small business community in my role as Enterprise Nation's Local Leader for Bristol. I also have strong connections with other major business organisations in the south west region. In total, I've hosted over 100 events including conferences with an audience of hundreds for international brands like Xero and Facebook and live web chats from inside 10 Downing Street. With my partner, I co-run Lifestyle District, a lifestyle blog focused on culture, art, theatre and photography.

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