Free checklist

Close the books
by day seven.

A company that closes on day 18 runs every decision on numbers three to seven weeks stale. This is the close calendar we install in engagements: day-numbered from five days before month end, one owner per task, a flash report on day 3, and done meaning tied out, not checked off.

What's inside

  • A 26-task close calendar sequenced Day -5 through Day 7, pre-loaded with the standard close and built to be edited to your ledger
  • One owner per task, dependencies named, and an evidence column where "done" gets honest
  • A progress line that flags what matters: tasks done, tasks blocked, and flash-critical items still open
  • The day-3 flash discipline built in: revenue, margin, EBITDA estimate, and cash to the owner before the books are perfect
  • A metrics tab tracking days-to-close by month, with the realistic improvement shape: two to three days per month, not a heroic leap

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How to use it

  1. Edit the task list to your ledger and put a name, not a department, in every owner cell. A shared task is an unowned task.
  2. Move work out of the close. Everything on the pre-close days can happen before month end; a close that starts with reconciliations current is half done.
  3. Ship the day-3 flash even while the close continues. Decisions move on the flash; the close confirms it.
  4. Log days-to-close monthly. When it holds at seven for three straight months, take a day out of the target.

The close feeds the reporting rhythm: the owner's monthly dashboard and the day-8 report a board actually reads. The background reading is why the three-week close costs more than it looks. If your close is stuck past day 10, start a conversation; this is a 90-day fix.