What a cash flow forecast template does
A cash flow forecast template is a structured spreadsheet that answers one question: how much money will actually be in the bank, week by week, over the months ahead. It deals only in money moving — not sales made or costs incurred — because it is the movement of money that decides whether payroll, suppliers and tax can be paid on time.
What the template contains
- An opening balance for each week, taken from the previous week's closing balance.
- Money coming into your business: customer payments, deposits, grants, loan drawdowns.
- Money going out: payroll, suppliers, rent, loan repayments, tax and VAT, owner drawings.
- A closing balance for each week, which is where a future shortage becomes visible.
How to fill it in
Start from your actual cleared bank balance today. Place each outstanding customer invoice in the week you genuinely expect to be paid, based on how that customer has behaved before rather than the terms printed on the invoice. Then enter your payments on the dates they are actually due. The lowest closing balance in the quarter, and the week it falls in, is the single most useful number the exercise produces.
How often to update it
Weekly. Replace the previous week's estimates with what really happened, then add a new week at the far end so the forecast always looks a full quarter ahead. Twenty minutes a week is enough, and the gap between what you forecast and what occurred is what makes the next forecast better.
Where to go next
- Your Bank Balance Isn't the Same as the Cash You Can Spend — why 13 weeks, and what the forecast actually tells you.
- Cash Management Needs Discipline, Not a Finance Department — the weekly routine that makes the forecast worth keeping.
- Free 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast Template — download the template itself.
- Cash Flow for Small Business — the course that puts the forecast into a wider routine.
Educational disclaimer. This material is general educational information about cash management. It is not investment, tax, legal, accounting or regulated financial advice, and it does not take account of your circumstances. Consider speaking to a suitably qualified professional before making financial decisions.