Valor Business and Tax Services

For established Kansas City businesses

Fractional CFO services.A clearer next move.

Before you hire, expand, or commit cash, understand what the decision asks of your business. Work directly with Dan Marlow, CPA and CMA, to turn your financial information into a plan.

Talk with Dan about CFO supportExplore the monthly scope ↓

Leading a nonprofit? Explore nonprofit Controller and CFO support for grants, restricted funds, and audit preparation.

Dan Marlow, CPA and CMA, your fractional CFO at Valor
Dan MarlowCPA, CMA · Founder of Valor
Starting at $2,500/month
One monthly meeting
Up to 60 minutes
Financial leadership
Keep your bookkeeper

Management accounting.
Business decisions.

Financial decisions are the focus.

Dan founded Valor in 2018. His Certified Management Accountant background centers on planning, performance, costs, and financial decisions. His CPA background adds accounting and tax context. You work directly with Dan, using the records your team maintains.

Meet Dan and explore his credentials →

The monthly CFO relationship

What does $2,500 a month get you?

  1. Monthly financial review

    Dan reviews the prior month's profit and loss statement, balance sheet, cash position, and key financial metrics.

  2. Cash-flow forecasting

    Maintain and update a rolling forecast to identify upcoming cash needs and potential problems.

  3. Monthly management discussion

    One scheduled meeting each month, lasting up to 60 minutes, to review results, upcoming issues, and decisions.

  4. Budget versus actual analysis

    Where appropriate, compare results with budgets or expectations and identify significant variances.

  5. KPI and business-driver analysis

    Focus on the few numbers that drive the business, such as utilization, gross margin, or revenue per employee.

  6. Access between meetings

    Reasonable email and phone access for financial questions and decisions between scheduled meetings.

  7. Follow-up on financial initiatives

    Review progress on agreed financial initiatives and recommendations, and discuss what needs attention next.

Your team keeps the books. Bookkeeping, day-to-day accounting, tax preparation, and the separate tax advisory package aren't included in the CFO fee.

A clear monthly rhythm

Email and phone access between meetings

  1. 01

    Review

    Prior results and significant changes in your records.

  2. 02

    Look ahead

    Update the forecast, variances, and business drivers.

  3. 03

    Discuss

    One monthly management meeting, up to 60 minutes.

  4. 04

    Follow through

    Review progress on the financial initiatives you agreed.

Decisions in practice

Different decisions.
A disciplined way forward.

These illustrative scenarios reflect the types of financial decisions Dan helps owners evaluate.

Build capacity in phases
Priority hire 01
Priority hire 02
Revenue or capacity
milestone reached?

Add roles when the business supports them

01Hiring and capacity

Can the business support the next hires?

A growing professional services business is considering several hires to meet demand.

What Dan examines

  • Revenue per employee and utilization
  • Compensation, overhead, and revenue from added capacity
  • Cash pressure from hiring now versus capacity limits from waiting

The next step

A phased plan starts with two priority positions. Additional hires follow when revenue or capacity milestones support them.

Commit in stages
New location
or business line
Expected pathRevenue and cash as planned
Downside pathMore time or cash needed
Check performance milestonesThen assess the next commitment

02Expansion and investment

How much should you commit, and when?

A business is considering another location or business line and wants to understand the cash commitment.

What Dan examines

  • Revenue, gross margin, payroll, and overhead
  • Startup costs, working capital, and cash timing
  • Expected and downside scenarios if targets take longer to reach

The next step

Stage the investment, with performance milestones before committing the full amount. The decision considers the cash needed along the way as well as potential profitability.

Look at when cash moves

Profit ≠ cash in the bank

Money inCustomer collections
Money outVendors · Payroll · Recurring costs
13-week forecastIn this example
  1. Week 1
  2. Week 2
  3. Week 3
  4. Week 4
  5. Week 5
  6. Week 6
  7. Week 7
  8. Week 8
  9. Week 9
  10. Week 10
  11. Week 11
  12. Week 12
  13. Week 13

When do receipts and payments reach the bank?

03Profitability and cash flow

Why does a profitable business run short of cash?

A profitable business repeatedly feels short of cash and needs to understand the timing gap.

What Dan examines

  • A rolling 13-week cash-flow forecast
  • Collection timing, vendor payments, and payroll
  • Recurring expenditures and when cash reaches the bank

The next step

Consider stronger collections, adjusted customer or vendor payment terms, and minimum cash reserves, supported by weekly forecast review in this example.

Is this the right fit?

For owners with bigger decisions ahead.

Valor works with established businesses, including contractors and construction companies around $2M or more in annual revenue. The need for financial leadership and the complexity of the business matter when assessing fit.

  • Your financial statements are reasonably current and reliable.
  • Hiring, investment, cash flow, or profitability needs more focused analysis.
  • You want a regular financial discussion and follow-up on agreed actions.

For contractors, that can mean job profitability, retainage, project timing, equipment, and cash for crews. Explore the separate construction tax services →

Keep your bookkeeper.
Add financial leadership.

Your accounting team

Maintains the books, records transactions, and handles day-to-day accounting.

Dan, your fractional CFO

Uses that information to analyze results, forecast cash, and advise management.

Bookkeeping, accounting cleanup, and daily accounting operations aren't included. If current records aren't available, discuss what needs attention before starting.

Reasonable access supports questions between meetings. It doesn't include unlimited availability or unlimited project work.

How Valor handles bookkeeping referrals →

See the whole decision

One commitment.
Financial and tax perspectives.

Financial impact

Equipment affects cash, financing, and operating capacity. Hiring changes payroll, overhead, and the revenue needed to support the team.

Tax context

The same equipment purchase can affect tax timing. Dan considers those connections alongside the operating decision.

Tax preparation and the separate tax advisory package aren't included in the CFO fee.

Compare the two services →

Before we talk

Questions about CFO support

See pricing and service details →

Who will I work with?

Dan Marlow, CPA and CMA, personally leads the CFO relationship. He reviews your financial information and advises management using records maintained by your bookkeeper or accounting team.

What does the monthly CFO fee include?

Starting at $2,500/month. The base scope includes a monthly financial review, a maintained rolling cash-flow forecast, one scheduled monthly meeting of up to 60 minutes, budget versus actual analysis where appropriate, KPI and business-driver analysis, reasonable email and phone access, and follow-up on agreed financial initiatives.

Can I keep my current bookkeeper?

Yes. Your bookkeeper or accounting team continues maintaining the books. CFO support does not include outsourced bookkeeping or day-to-day accounting. Financial records need to be reasonably current and reliable.

How often will we meet?

The base scope includes one scheduled management meeting each month, lasting up to 60 minutes. Reasonable email and phone access is available between meetings for financial questions and decisions. Additional meetings or project work need a separately agreed scope.

Are tax preparation and tax advisory included?

No. The CFO fee does not include tax preparation or Valor's separate tax strategy and advisory package. Dan can consider financial and tax perspectives in a decision, with tax services scoped separately.

Is there a minimum engagement?

Three-month initial engagement; month-to-month thereafter. This applies to CFO support. The separate tax advisory package has its own terms.

Will the forecast always cover 13 weeks?

Dan maintains and updates a rolling cash-flow forecast. The useful horizon depends on the business and the decision. The 13-week forecast and weekly review in the illustrative cash-flow example do not establish a universal weekly service commitment or guarantee future cash results.

Start with your next decision

What are you working through?

Tell Dan what you're considering, where cash feels tight, and who maintains your records. Discuss whether ongoing CFO support fits your business.

Talk with Dan about CFO support

Starting at $2,500/month