Free template · Excel · Planning
Free 13-week cash flow forecast template
A rolling 13-week cash forecast. Enter the cash you expect in and out each week; it shows your closing balance week by week, the lowest point, and any week you dip below your cushion.
13-week cash flow forecast
Excel workbook (.xlsx) · 9 KB · 2 sheets
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening cash | 18,000.00 | 19,200.00 | 19,400.00 | 21,600.00 |
| Customer payments on invoices | 4,200.00 | 3,800.00 | 5,100.00 | 2,900.00 |
| Total cash in | 5,400.00 | 5,000.00 | 6,300.00 | 4,100.00 |
| Payroll (net pay) | 0.00 | 3,900.00 | 0.00 | 3,900.00 |
| Total cash out | 4,200.00 | 4,800.00 | 4,100.00 | 6,050.00 |
| CLOSING CASH | 19,200.00 | 19,400.00 | 21,600.00 | 19,650.00 |
What it is
Profit and cash are not the same. A business can be profitable on paper and still be unable to make payroll on Friday because customers haven't paid yet. A short cash forecast shows a squeeze coming while there's still time to act.
Thirteen weeks (one quarter) is long enough to see payroll cycles, rent and tax remittances, and short enough to forecast with some confidence.
Who it's for
- Businesses with lumpy income or slow-paying customers
- Owners planning a big purchase or hire
- Anyone who has had a tight week and doesn't want another
What's in the file
| Sheet | What it holds |
|---|---|
| 13-week forecast | Opening cash, four lines of cash in, twelve lines of cash out, net cash flow, closing cash, and distance from your cushion for 13 weeks, with the lowest balance, its week and the number of weeks below the cushion at the top. |
| Instructions | How to build it and roll it forward each week. |
How to use it
- Enter the Monday that starts week 1, the cash in the bank that morning, and the lowest balance you want to keep.
- Clear the sample numbers.
- Enter the payments you realistically expect from customers each week, based on who owes you and how late they usually pay.
- Put each outgoing payment in the week it will leave the bank. Fill in fixed dates first: payroll, rent, loans, tax remittances.
- Read the Closing cash row. Weeks below your cushion turn red.
- Every week, replace the oldest week with what really happened and add a new week 13.
Pale yellow cells are for your entries; white cells calculate. Nothing is locked, so you can rename lines, add rows inside a section, or change the layout. Each file has an Instructions sheet with these steps.
Download 13-week cash flow forecast (.xlsx)
Questions
Why 13 weeks?
It's one quarter, so it covers a full cycle of payroll, rent, card payments and most tax remittances, while staying close enough to forecast with real numbers rather than guesses.
Should I include sales tax and GST/HST?
Yes. Customers' payments include the tax, and the remittance is a real payment out of your bank. Leaving both out makes your cash look better than it is in the month the return is due.
What do I do if a week goes red?
Act early: chase overdue invoices, ask a big customer for a deposit, move a purchase, talk to your bank about a line of credit before you need it. The point of the forecast is time to choose.
Related
- How to collect overdue invoices
- CRA payroll remittance schedules
- Form 941 vs Form 940
- Budget template
- All free templates
General information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Check with your accountant before relying on a template for a tax return.
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