Representatives with the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) came to Statesboro last week to recognize local CPA Billy Hickman for his 35 years as a member of NFIB and his dedication to Georgia’s small businesses.
Gathering in front of Anderson’s General Store on Highway 80 East, Hickman was honored by NFIB State Director Nathan Humphrey and Board Chairman Cade Joiner.
“Billy has been a 35-year member of NFIB,” Humphrey said. “He has made many contributions to the small business community and businesses just like the one were here at today. He understands the challenges of a business owner who also understands the difference between signing the front side of a paycheck as well as the back side. We appreciate all his hard work on behalf of the small business community of Georgia and the Bulloch County area.”
A partner in the accounting firm of Dabbs, Hickman, Hill and Cannon, LLP, Hickman was grateful in accepting the award.
“We as good accountants, we learn as much from our clients, hopefully, as our clients learn from us,” he said. “As accountants, we’re in a glass house. Our clients are in the real world and we try to take that glass house and the real world and merge them together as partners.”
He also thanked his family and all the employees of his accounting firm.
“It’s a great day for me personally and my family and my wife Joanne. We’ve been married for 45 years so it’s definitely been a team sport for us. And everybody at the firm. We all pull together.”
In looking back over his career, Hickman acknowledged, in particular, the current difficult times small businesses face with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a certified public accountant and business owner, our firm has worked with and, at times, prayed with our clients as they faced their darkest days,” he said. “We fought day-in and day-out to find creative solutions to their problems and came out delivering results – as we’ve been doing for over four decades.”
Hickman also was grateful to the National Federation of Independent Businesses for the award.
“It means so much to have NFIB State Director Nathan Humphrey and Board Chairman Cade Joiner here today,” Hickman said. “Small business is the backbone of Georgia’s economy. Over 97% of the state’s businesses are small businesses and just under half of employed Georgians work for a small business.
“This is a truly humbling experience and I promise to always be a voice for small business owners in southeast Georgia,” Hickman said.