Most early-stage companies close their books whenever someone finds the time. That usually means the numbers for March arrive in late April, after the decisions they should have informed. A fixed close calendar fixes that.
Days one and two: cash first
We reconcile every bank, card and payment processor account before anything else. If cash does not tie out, nothing downstream can be trusted, so this is the step we never compress.
Days three to five: accruals and schedules
- Payroll journal from the payroll provider, split by department
- Prepaid software and insurance amortised on a schedule, not guessed
- Accrued expenses for invoices that have not arrived yet
- Deferred revenue rolled forward for annual contracts
Days six to eight: review and report
A second accountant reviews every material account. Then we write a short variance note in plain language: what moved, why it moved and whether it matters. On day eight the founder gets a report they can forward to the board without editing.
The goal is not speed for its own sake. It is having last month's numbers while they are still useful.Marcus Feld
