

Santa Barbara sits between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific, the seat of Santa Barbara County and a destination known for its Spanish Revival architecture. Tourism and hospitality are central, with hotels, restaurants and shops along State Street and the waterfront. The nearby University of California campus fuels research and a software and technology startup scene. Wineries in the surrounding valleys, wealth management firms and wellness businesses serve an affluent coastal community.
Santa Barbara hospitality and tourism businesses face seasonal peaks, high labor costs and California payroll complexity. Wineries need production and inventory costing, while software startups require investor ready reporting and runway tracking. Wealth and professional firms want client profitability. PSG delivers accurate monthly bookkeeping and fractional CFO support for budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning along the coast.
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 Santa Barbara 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 San Buenaventura (Ventura), Oxnard, Camarillo, Lompoc and Thousand Oaks.

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“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.”

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“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.