Build a 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast
Build a weekly cash rollforward from opening cash, dated receipts, and dated payments, then compare assumptions with actuals.
Produce a 13-column forecast with source-linked assumptions, a visible low-cash case, and a weekly actual-versus-forecast review routine.
Who this is for: Operators and finance leads who need a short-horizon view of cash timing to coordinate collections, purchases, payroll, and management decisions.
Start with current evidence.
- 01
Opening reconciled cash by account and any cash restrictions.
- 02
Accounts receivable aging, invoices due, customer payment patterns, and known disputes.
- 03
Payroll calendar, vendor bills, debt obligations, tax dates, and approved purchase orders.
- 04
A recent sales or bookings pipeline with explicit conversion and collection assumptions.
Move through the work.
Each step names the action and what completion looks like. Record assumptions and unresolved questions as you go.
- 01
Create 13 weekly columns
Use one row per cash driver and one column for each week. Start with a reconciled opening balance and carry each week's closing cash into the following week's opening cash.
COMPLETE WHENEach week has one opening and one closing cash balance, with no unexplained breaks in the rollforward.
- 02
Separate receipts by source and confidence
List customer collections, deposits, refunds, taxes received, and other inflows on expected cash dates. Keep confirmed, likely, and uncertain amounts distinguishable and avoid counting revenue before the cash date.
COMPLETE WHENEvery material inflow has a source record, expected date, confidence, and owner.
- 03
Schedule payments on expected clearing dates
List payroll, rent, suppliers, inventory, taxes, debt service, refunds, and one-time items. Use expected payment dates and existing contractual terms; label proposed timing changes as assumptions until agreed.
COMPLETE WHENRecurring, committed, and discretionary outflows are separately identified and assigned.
- 04
Build base and downside cases
Keep the base case tied to the best current evidence. In a downside case, change only the assumptions that could reasonably move cash, such as slower collections, lower conversion, delayed delivery, or a cost increase, and state why each changed.
COMPLETE WHENA reviewer can see which assumptions differ between cases and what evidence would update them.
- 05
Compare actuals weekly
At the same point each week, replace completed forecast weeks with actual bank-cleared receipts and payments. Explain meaningful variances, revise remaining weeks, and assign actions for the next low point.
COMPLETE WHENEach review has a dated variance note, revised forecast, and named action owner.
Hypothetical three-week rollforward
Illustrative figures only. Amounts are made up to demonstrate the rollforward, not expected business results.
- Opening cash
- $18,000
- Week 1: $12,000 receipts - $14,000 payments
- $16,000 closing cash
- Week 2: $8,000 receipts - $15,000 payments
- $9,000 closing cash
- Week 3: $16,000 receipts - $11,000 payments
- $14,000 closing cash
What changes the next move?
- A cash forecast describes timing and assumptions; it is not a profit forecast, loan decision, or guarantee.
- Keep restricted, escrowed, or otherwise unavailable cash separate from deployable operating cash.
- If the downside case crosses an operating threshold, escalate early and evaluate operational responses and qualified advice.
Keep these visible.
- Using accrual revenue as a receipt date.
- Updating assumptions without preserving actual-versus-forecast variances.
- Using one optimistic collection date for all receivables.
Check, assign, and continue.
Mark items as you verify them. Your selections stay in this tab and are not sent or saved.
Check the current source.
- SBA: Manage your finances ↗
Background on bookkeeping and cash-flow projections.
This playbook is general operating guidance. It does not verify records, replace qualified professional advice, determine eligibility, or guarantee a financial outcome. Review current contracts, source records, and applicable requirements with the responsible professional.
← Back to all playbooks