Held to Account – Alisa Schroeder

Alisa Schroeder MICB – Senior Bookkeeper

Alisa in five words is:

– conscientious, patient, enthusiastic, approachable, creative.

Another Answer in three words is:

– friendly, local, busy!

What led you to become a bookkeeper?

– I used to be a primary school teacher but left when I was expecting my third child. A passing comment from a friend, and a chance conversation with Sylvia at a toddler group, convinced me to train as a bookkeeper, with the idea that it was something I could do from home. I honestly had no idea what a bookkeeper did at that point, but it turned out to be the perfect job for me!

If clients could do one thing to make your life easier it would be…

– Send us their receipts and invoices on time! It’s so much nicer if you’re not counting down the minutes to a VAT deadline. We want to provide useful and up-to-date insights to our clients to help them run their businesses better, but we need the information to work from.

What has been your greatest achievement during this year’s lockdowns?

– Probably completing a cross-stitch map of the Norfolk Broads. My husband bought it for me when we were there on holiday eleven years ago, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get it finished!

You can visit any country in the world for a week. Where and why?

– Japan. Beautiful landscapes, fascinating culture – and sushi!

Paddling in the Caribbean or surfing in Hawaii?

– A tough choice, but I’d pick surfing in Hawaii. As a family we tried surfing in Cornwall last year.  It was good fun and it would be even more fun somewhere warm.

You are appearing as a contestant on Mastermind. What is your chosen specialist subject?

– Aside from bookkeeping? I’m not sure that I have one, although having watched all seven seasons of the Clone Wars series with my son during lockdown, I’m reasonably knowledgeable about that!

A cup of coffee and half an hour with anyone in the world. Who and why?

– Right now, it would be a real treat to have a coffee and a catch-up (in person, without a facemask!) with friends that I haven’t been able to see in months.

A night at the opera or a day at the races?

– A day at the races.

You must appear on reality TV – Bake-off, The Voice or Strictly? Why?

– Definitely not The Voice (if you heard me sing, you’d know why!)  I do enjoy baking, especially birthday cakes for my children, but I’d choose Strictly for the opportunity to learn to dance.

Yesterday at Another Answer – what was great about it?

– It’s always great to catch up with my colleagues, particularly when we’re not together in the office – I am lucky to be part of a great team.  I’m working with a couple of new clients at the moment, to tidy up their books.  It’s really interesting finding out about each different business, and I enjoy bringing order to the chaos and being able to take a weight off the client’s shoulders.

Published On: December 15, 2020

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