1. Clean up receivables
An old receivable that is neither chased nor provisioned artificially inflates the balance sheet. The auditor will flag it, then the banker. Before year-end: reconcile customer accounts, chase receivables overdue by more than 90 days, and decide for each between collection, a payment plan or a provision. The balance sheet will be more accurate, and customers' actual payment times finally known.
2. Prepare the 2027 bank file
Short-term credit lines are often renewed early in the year, on the basis of the previous year's accounts. A company that arrives in January with a 2027 budget built on two cost scenarios, a cash plan and a working capital projection negotiates on better terms than one that waits for its bank to ask.
"Renewing a credit line is prepared during the previous year, not during the meeting."
The Edmond'S Journal3. Review contract price clauses
With rising transport and energy costs, fixed-price contracts signed for 2027 can erode margins from the first quarter. Listing contracts without indexation clauses, renegotiating those that can be, and including a price review in new contracts protects margins more surely than any cost-cutting plan.
Key takeaway
These three workstreams take a few days of work in October and November. They avoid weeks of negotiation under pressure at the start of the year.