One can run through a series of easy, virtually free changes in the closing activities to accomplish quick and substantial improvements. This chapter presents the most effective of all those free changes, which is altering the timing of closing activities. A considerable number of activities can be either partially or completely shifted out of the core closing period, either by moving them into the last few days of the preceding month or by recognizing that they are not central to the closing mission and deferring them until later in the month. It is more than a scheduling change, involving an alteration in mindset, because changing the activity timing can slightly alter the accuracy of the resulting information. To avoid the payment delays, one can consider shifting the physical issuance of invoices out of the core‐closing period and spend more time proofreading them right after the close, thereby eliminating errors and accelerating cash flow.