Outsourced CFO leadership and advanced tax strategy for established companies and high-net-worth families. The capability of a large firm, delivered with the discretion of a private office.
Board-level direction without the cost of an in-house executive. We sit at your table as the financial mind of the company: budgeting, forecasting, capital structure, reporting and cash flow, as a standing partnership rather than an annual conversation.
Every engagement at Morrow & Co. is led by a licensed CPA with direct access to your principal advisor. We bring the expertise and capabilities of a large firm to a select number of clients, and we give each of them the attention a private office demands.
We specialize in advanced tax planning and year-round financial direction, so decisions are made ahead of the numbers rather than after them.
Outcomes, not activity.
Three engagements, chosen because the numbers speak for themselves. Client names withheld; figures as reported in their financial statements.
Chart: annual earnings rising from a one million dollar loss in year zero to two and a half million dollars of profit in year three.
Business Turnaround · 3 yearsA company losing one million dollars a year came to us for a rescue plan. Within three years, through accurate books, honest financial awareness and a disciplined set of indicators, it was earning two and a half million a year.
Chart: monthly results climbing from a loss at the start of the engagement, crossing zero, and reaching one hundred thousand dollars of profit a month.
Outsourced CFOAn owner was losing a hundred thousand dollars a year. We took the financial seat at the table and redirected the business. It now earns a hundred thousand dollars a month: $1.2 million a year.
Chart: the tax bill with Morrow and Co. is about a third smaller than without planning; the difference of over one hundred forty thousand dollars is kept.
Advanced Tax Planning · Exit yearIn the year a client sold a significant asset, planning done ahead of the transaction rather than after it saved more than a hundred and forty thousand dollars on the tax bill.
Illustration: a projected tax liability of 340,000 dollars reduced by four planning strategies to 221,500 dollars, keeping 118,500 dollars.
Illustrative figures for a hypothetical client. Strategies and savings depend on the business.
Personalized, proactive strategies built for large, long-term tax savings. We examine every legal avenue for minimizing liability and model the tax consequences of your decisions before you make them, so wealth is kept rather than recovered.
The complete portfolio.
Six further disciplines, each held to the same standard of care, each led by the same people you will come to know by name.
Comprehensive statements for lenders, partners and compliance, prepared to the standard a sophisticated reader expects.
04Forward visibility into working capital, so growth is funded and the business never runs short.
05A rescue plan to restore profitability, then a five-year plan to protect and compound it.
06A dedicated accountant records every transaction properly, so your books are always ready for scrutiny.
07Accurate, on-time business and individual returns, with counsel on the structures that reduce next year's liability.
08Back-office leadership beyond the ledger: payroll, vendor management, systems and the operating rhythm that lets an owner step out of the day-to-day.
Owner-led companies with real complexity.
Most of our clients run companies with annual revenues between $2 million and $20 million: businesses with inventory, crews, contracts, properties and payrolls. They have outgrown a once-a-year tax preparer and want a financial mind at the table. These are the industries where we do our best work.
Inventory, cost of goods, equipment and margin discipline.
Crews, job costing and cash flow across the season.
Partner compensation, entity structure and tax strategy.
Acquisitions, depreciation strategy and exit planning.
Entity structuring and reporting across properties.
Project-based revenue, deposits and working capital.
Receivables, compliance and recurring revenue reporting.
Personal returns and planning alongside the business.
We start with the books, bringing them current and correct. Growth begins with the right information.
We review the numbers with you until you understand exactly what your financials are saying.
Bespoke indicators and reporting become the instruments you use to measure and track progress.
We set goals, redirect the business where needed, and begin to see real, measurable change.
Large-firm capability. Private-office attention.
Morrow & Co. was founded in 2014 and has since built a reputation in Orange County for quality service and exceptional results. Our accountants are on call to answer clients' questions and craft personalized solutions.
Darren Morrow earned his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from California State University, Long Beach, and his CPA license in 2013. After years at several larger firms, he founded Morrow & Co. to work with good people and save them money. Business brokers refer him for due diligence; clients keep him for decades.
A team you will know by name.
Founder. Outsourced CFO, tax strategy and due diligence counsel.
Serves as the standing financial executive for CFO clients: forecasting, reporting, cash flow and strategy.
Leads back-office operations for clients: payroll, vendors, systems and the rhythm that lets an owner step out of the day-to-day.
UC Irvine graduate with experience across HR, payroll and accounting. With the firm since 2018.
Runs the office and keeps every engagement moving. Your first call and your fastest answer.
Prepares financial statements and supports tax engagements across the client base.
Keeps client books current and accurate, so every decision starts with the right numbers.
5.0 on Google · every review five stars
As business brokers we work with lots of CPAs, and I have found Darren to be one of the best we have had the pleasure of working with. Pragmatic, accessible and responsive. I refer clients to him for due diligence when they are buying a business.
Bill GrunauBroker, Pacific Business Sales
An outstanding accountant, loyal, very trusting, and an excellent strategic advisor. We have known Darren and his company for years since we started our business. Professional and quick with their responses.
Alvin A.Business owner · client since launch
A trustworthy company with integrity and individuals I can rely on for my business. They have been a great help with my financials and taxes. I highly recommend them.
James C.Business owner
Clear terms, stated up front.
Minimums, stated plainly. Every engagement is quoted in writing before work begins.
Standing financial leadership, scoped to the business.
Strategy ahead of the numbers.
Books kept current and accurate.
Partnerships, S corps and C corps.
Owners and high-net-worth families.
Final fees depend on complexity and are confirmed in a written engagement letter.
Straight answers.
An outsourced CFO provides the financial leadership of a full-time CFO on a part-time retainer: budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, monthly reporting, agreed KPIs and strategic counsel. At Morrow & Co. that means a standing seat at your table and a monthly CFO report built around your numbers. Engagements start at $3,500 a month. Read more about outsourced CFO services.
Our CFO engagements run $3,500 to $10,000 a month depending on the size and complexity of the business. The fee is confirmed in a written engagement letter before any work begins. Our full fee schedule is published above.
A controller keeps the books accurate and produces the financial statements. A CFO uses those statements to make decisions: forecasting, cash strategy, capital structure and growth planning. Most $2MM–$20MM companies need a bookkeeper or controller plus a part-time CFO, not a full-time one.
It depends on profit level, owner compensation and the exit you have in mind. An S corporation election often reduces self-employment tax once profits pass roughly $80,000 to $100,000, but it adds payroll and reasonable-compensation rules. We model both before recommending a structure. Read more about advanced tax planning.
It is complimentary and confidential. You leave with three things: a clear read of where the business stands today, a recommendation on which services fit and which you do not need, and two or three tax planning avenues worth pursuing right away.
Yes. We are based in Tustin and serve owner-led companies throughout Orange County, including Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, and clients elsewhere in California who work with us remotely. See our Orange County service area.
Request a private consultation.
Your initial consultation is complimentary and confidential. Tell us about the business, and we will tell you plainly where the opportunity lies.
A clear read of the books and the tax position as they are today.
Which services fit, and which you do not need.
Two or three tax planning avenues worth pursuing now.
Illustrative figures for a $6M manufacturing client. Every CFO client receives a report built around their own numbers and indicators.
| Days sales outstanding | 41 | target 45 |
| Inventory turns | 6.8× | target 6.0× |
| Labor as % of revenue | 27.3% | target 26% |
| Current ratio | 2.1 | target 1.8 |
| Backlog | $1.42M | 10.2 weeks |
Two accounts over 90 days flagged for follow-up this week.
Margin is holding above plan; labor cost is the one indicator drifting. Recommend holding the Q1 hire until backlog clears 12 weeks, and drawing the line of credit down by $150K in February given the forecast floor.
Sample dashboard with illustrative data. Not a representation of any actual client.