Studying through the hardest months of her life

Suzanne enrolled on our ICB Self Employed Package with Training Link in March 2022. What followed was nearly four years of continuous study — through two operations, cancer treatment, and part-time work, without her results ever slipping.

97% Distinction at Level 2. 92% Merit at Level 3. Then her Level 4 Diploma in Advanced Bookkeeping and Accounts, with 93% in Financial Statements, 85% in Corporation Tax, and 97% in Self Assessment.

Every one of those results comfortably clear of ICB’s demanding 80% pass mark.

“That was consistent tenacity at work, achieved through some of the hardest months of my life.”

Suzanne worked with two of our tutors along the way: Bev supported her through Levels 2 and 3, before Jo picked up the baton for her Level 4 units — Financial Statements, Corporation Tax, Self Assessment, and Business Insights.

Having already qualified for her Diploma, Suzanne didn’t stop there. She went on to sit a fourth unit, Business Insights, achieving a further 94% Merit and a Level 4 Certificate in February 2026.

Sisu: the word behind the business

There’s a Finnish word, sisu — a quiet, determined resilience; carrying on through adversity without making a fuss of it. It’s also a play on Suzanne’s name. It’s why she named her practice Sisu Bookkeeping.

“It’s the thread that runs through my whole student journey. Sisu is how I got through my studies, and it’s how I work for my clients.”

Finding her niche

While studying, Suzanne worked part-time for a manufacturing company in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, putting her new skills into practice for the first time. Once she qualified for her Practice Licence, she set up Sisu Bookkeeping in Henley-on-Thames — with a clear niche in mind.

She’s The Sole Trader for Sole Traders, specialising in the beauty and wellness world. Having come through her own health journey, Suzanne wanted to give back to the kind of people who’d helped her feel better when she needed it most — so now she helps them feel good about their businesses too.

“My mission is simple: to turn tax dread into calm confidence for creative people who’d rather be doing what they love than wrestling with their books.”

To serve them properly, she trained as a Xero partner and tax specialist, became a ProAdvisor across FreeAgent and Sage, and has since re-certified as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor — all while keeping pace with Making Tax Digital.

What’s next

Suzanne sees Making Tax Digital for Income Tax as the biggest opportunity of the next five years — bringing sole traders into digital record-keeping, with demand for bookkeepers who can guide them through the change rising fast. She’s planning to grow beyond compliance into advisory work, becoming a trusted virtual finance partner for women in the beauty industry.

“It’s helping a group that’s too often overlooked feel in control of their numbers.”