13-week cash flow forecast

Start with today’s balance, then put each payment in the week it actually lands.

1. 01

   Cash in the bank today.

   The real balance across your operating accounts.

2. 02

   Customer payments.

   In the week they usually arrive, not the week you send the invoice.

3. 03

   Payroll, rent, vendors, loans and taxes.

   On their real dates. For anything that repeats, type the amount in the first week, then choose Repeat: every week, every 2 weeks, every 4 weeks or monthly.

4. 04

   A minimum.

   The lowest balance you’re comfortable with, for example one payroll plus rent.

5. 05

   Paste from a spreadsheet

   if you already keep the numbers there: copy the cells, click the first one and paste.

Look at the ending cash row first, then at the weeks that turn red.

• Ending cash is last week’s ending cash plus this week’s net cash. Red means below your minimum, or below zero.
• Lowest cash and biggest gap tell you how much you would have to cover, and which week to plan around.
• The stress test lowers one line, usually customer payments, and moves it later. A second line appears on the chart so you can compare it with your forecast.
• Roll forward one week is the weekly habit. Enter what was really in the bank, week 1 drops off and a new week 13 appears.

• Net cash for a week = total cash in − total cash out.
• Ending cash = starting cash + net cash. Week 1 starts from the cash in the bank today. Every later week starts from the week before.
• Stress test: each amount on the line you pick is multiplied by (1 − the percent lower) and moved the number of weeks later. Anything pushed past week 13 drops out of view.
• Monthly repeat follows the calendar from the first week you entered, so check the weeks near the end of each month.

It forecasts cash, not profit, and it only knows what you tell it.

It doesn’t connect to your bank or your books. Your numbers are saved in this browser only, so use Save a backup file before you switch computers or clear your browser data.