A thirteen-week cash flow forecast shows the specific weeks when cash could run short, which a monthly budget hides. The template below gives you the structure. The routine of updating it every week is what makes it reliable.
Download the spreadsheet, replace the sample numbers with your own, and use the checklist to keep it honest.
Set it up
- Start week 1 from today's actual bank balance, not the book balance.
- List expected customer receipts by customer and by week, based on how each customer actually pays.
- List payroll on the actual pay dates, including taxes and benefits.
- List supplier, rent, loan, insurance, and tax payments on their due dates.
- Add one-time items such as equipment purchases, distributions, and estimated tax payments.
Make it reliable
- Keep revenue and cash receipts separate. Model when money arrives, not when it is earned.
- Model retainage, deposits, and seasonal receipts with their own timing.
- Set a minimum cash balance and highlight weeks that fall below it.
- Leave missing inputs blank and flagged rather than entering zero.
Update weekly
- Replace last week's forecast with actuals.
- Compare forecast with actual and note why they differed.
- Roll the forecast forward one week.
- Review the lowest week and decide on any action now.
This template is general guidance, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Adapt it to your business and confirm requirements with a qualified adviser.