43
An account of 25 years
BOARDMAN
The owner of a local accounting firm is celebrating the firm’s 25th anniversary this month.
“This community has been very good to me,” said Nick Moga, the owner of Small Business Accounting LLC, which he operates from his home on Hitchcock Road.
Moga, however, did not start out as an accountant nor in Boardman.
Born and reared in Detroit, Moga served as a paramedic for the Air Force in the early 1960s. His career started out in sales management where he worked in New Jersey for Dow Jones & Co., publishers of The Wall Street Journal. He also spent 12 years as general manager of Court Control Inc., a chain of fitness centers in the Washington, D.C., area.
During that time, Moga said, he took night classes at four separate universities while raising a family. He eventually graduated with a degree in business management from Rutgers University in 1986.
He relocated to Boardman and worked for Comprehensive Accounting, led by Scott Campman.
Moga said he was hired to “bring in more business.” Under Campman, he started learning the ropes of accounting and became a certified accountant after taking a six-month course. He decided to start his own accounting business when his boss retired in 1989.
Moga said he signed a noncompeting clause with the firm and could not take clients with him.
“I had not a single client with me,” he said.
Moga started calling local business to advertise his services. He would make his calls during the day while working on taxes and financial statements at night.
SBA now has three full-time employees besides Moga, and the business serves clients in six states with payroll, financial-statement and tax services.
His clients include businesses with more than $1 million in annual revenue, smaller businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals who need personal tax returns.
The firm’s first two clients — Foster Pattern Works Inc., 1371 Kauffman Ave., Columbiana, and Elmo Tire Center, 3688 Loveland Road, Youngstown — remain his clients after 25 years.
“Its been a joy to work with him,” said Lewis Huffman, vice president of Foster Pattern Works. “He does great work.”
That sentiment is shared at Elmo Tire.
“I could probably go on for an hour about him,” said Sonny Elmo, the former owner, with whom Moga started working initially. “He’s been so fair and honest with us.”
Sonny’s son, Tony, now runs the business. “He’s a really excellent guy,” Tony said of Moga.
The firm’s clientele is diverse, ranging from businesses based in Boardman to a Wyoming orthopedic surgeon.
To celebrate, Moga will present a $2,500 check Monday to the Big Reach Center of Hope in Greenford, a regional food and clothing center where he and his wife volunteer.