Cash flow forecast example

Follow this example of a cash flow forecast to create your own. A cash flow forecast will help you see when your business will be flush with cash, and when it won’t.

Example cash flow forecast

A cash flow forecast allows you to predict incomings and outgoings to estimate how much money you’ll have in the future.

Cash flow forecast example shows rows for money coming in and out, followed by totals. Calculates net cash flow in or out.

Reading the results

Here's where you subtract costs from your available cash to see how much money you'll have in the bank at the end of each period.

Cash flow forecast results show total cash in minus total cash out to give you a net cash flow and a closing balance.

Tips for filling out a cash flow forecast

Owner’s contribution is any personal money you put into the business. Owner’s drawings are any amounts you took out for personal use. Only fill out the ‘Money from loans’ row if newly borrowed money hits your account during the period. Don’t put existing loans in there.

Some costs can go in multiple places. Car insurance could go under insurance or vehicles, for instance. Don’t sweat on the decision too much. Just stay consistent once you’ve made a call.

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How to read a cash flow forecast

The numbers to watch.

  • Net cash flow – shows whether you’ll be putting money in the bank, or scrambling to meet costs.
  • Closing balance – a negative amount suggests you may need to delay expenditures if you can, or sort out some kind of finance.

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Disclaimer

Xero does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice. This guide has been provided for information purposes only. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your business or before taking action in relation to any of the content provided.

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