Bookkeeping, Accounting & CFO Services in Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto founders and professional firms near Stanford can lean on PSG for board ready books and CFO guidance on runway, fundraising and disciplined growth.
Palo Alto founders and professional firms near Stanford can lean on PSG for board ready books and CFO guidance on runway, fundraising and disciplined growth.
Palo Alto sits in northern Santa Clara County next to Stanford University, at the historic center of Silicon Valley. Stanford Research Park hosts technology, life sciences and research companies, and venture capital firms and early stage startups cluster around University Avenue and the surrounding downtown. Healthcare, law, wealth management and consulting firms serve a highly educated community, while restaurants, boutiques and wellness studios cater to residents and a large daytime workforce drawn from across the Peninsula.
Venture backed startups in Palo Alto need accurate revenue recognition, stock compensation awareness, burn rate tracking and board ready financials, while professional firms need clean project profitability. High labor and rent costs make disciplined budgeting essential. PSG maintains accurate monthly books, prepares investor and board reporting, and offers fractional CFO guidance on runway, fundraising preparation, pricing and hiring plans for founders who need senior finance support without a full time hire.
California requires most LLCs and corporations to pay an annual minimum franchise tax, charges state sales and use tax through the CDTFA, and has strict payroll and wage rules. Several cities also impose their own business or gross receipts taxes.
General information only, not tax advice. Rules change, so confirm specifics with a tax professional.
Yes. We work with Palo Alto companies through a dedicated team that is entirely US based, combining Big Four accounting experience with years of operating experience across industries. Your team closes the books on a regular schedule, works inside the accounting tools you already use and looks at your numbers the way an operator would, not just a bookkeeper.
Typically bank and card reconciliations, accounts payable and receivable, payroll support, California sales tax tracking and monthly financial statements you can act on. Growing companies can add fractional CFO support for forecasting, budgeting and cash planning.
Usually when decisions start to outgrow the books: raising capital or bank financing, opening a new location, making key hires, tightening margins or preparing for a future sale. A fractional CFO adds forecasting and strategic guidance without the cost of a full time executive.
We also work with businesses in Mountain View, Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Fremont.
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“If you want to sleep better at night, hire Phoenix Strategy Group.”
“PSG and David Metzler structured an extraordinary M&A deal during a very chaotic period in our business, and I couldn't be more pleased with our partnership.”
“PSG saved my dream. They helped us get our financials in order and renegotiate our lending agreements, pulling us through a tough financial crunch.”
“As our fractional CFO, they accomplished more in six months than our last two full-time CFOs combined. If you're looking for unparalleled financial strategy and integration, hiring PSG is one of the best decisions you can make.”
“Hire PSG if you want to make your life easier and have accurate data.”
“As a home service business owner, understanding complex financials and Unit Economics always seemed overwhelming—until we started working with Phoenix Strategy Group.”
240+
Portfolio Companies
$200m+
Raised over the Last 12 Months
100+
M&As Transacted
5+
IPOs
Hi! I'm Sam, a financial leader who's managed operations from startups to $40M enterprises.
I've led licensing deals with Disney, Marvel, and Viacom, while overseeing products across 35,000 retail stores. Through SHK Financial, I've helped 15+ high-growth companies succeed, including recovering $2M in receivables for a major client and rebuilding a $10M ARR company's accounting system in 6 months. Now, as Chief Accounting Officer at PSG, I oversee 50+ revenue streams and help launch many successful 8-figure businesses.
My journey started uniquely - while studying finance at Fresno State, I taught both chess and accounting to students, teaching me that success in finance, like in chess, is all about strategic thinking and seeing several moves ahead.