St Albans motorcyclist accountant is award finalist

When St Albans motorcyclist Liz Needham rocks up to clients in her leathers to tally their accounts, people often look twice at the decidedly unbookish accountant.

And chances are that the motorcyclist overtaking you on one of London’s congested roads could well be the 47 year old, hurrying to her next appointment.

Liz, who set up Needham Accountancy near the Rat’s Castle pub on Hatfield Road five years ago, hails her Suzuki GS650 for giving her a business advantage.

Her small firm, set up after Liz was made redundant in 2008, has been shortlisted as a finalist for a national bookkeeping award.

But there’s nothing bookish about the qualified accountant whose need for speed and head for numbers are a perfect combination.

Liz, who has ridden a motorbike since the age of 17, said being on two wheels instead of four gave her a business advantage as she could reach clients in London in half the time.

She added: “It’s incredibly liberating. I don’t need to stand on a crowded tube train every day, clutching a heavy briefcase. I put my documents in my panniers and away I go.

“I am known for having a bike. Most of my clients know I will turn up wearing leathers. It usually gives them a bit of a laugh.”

Liz’s 30-year-old bike has clocked up thousands of miles between her St Albans office and London, where her clients include a film production company and a group of marketing companies.

The winner of the BKN Bookkeeping Awards 2013 will be announced tomorrow (Wednesday).