13 Week Cash Flow Forecast Template: How to Build One
A 13 week cash flow forecast template is a week-by-week layout for projecting the cash coming into and leaving your bank account for the next quarter. You start with today's balance, list expected receipts and payments for each week, and watch the closing balance. This page gives you the layout, a worked example and the traps.
Free download
Download the 13 week workbook (Excel)
Excel .xlsx. No email form. Formulas for totals and closing cash, a below-minimum flag, actuals and variance sheets, and a worked example with invented numbers.
What is a 13-week cash flow forecast?
It is a short-range cash forecast, one column per week for 13 weeks, which is one quarter. Because it runs week by week, it shows timing problems that a monthly view smooths over: payroll landing before a large customer payment, a tax or loan payment arriving in a thin week, or a supplier who wants cash on delivery.
It is a cash tool, not a profit tool. It does not care when you earned a sale or incurred a cost. It only cares about the day the money moves. For the difference, see profit vs cash flow.
13 week cash flow template
Download: 13 week cash flow forecast workbook (Excel .xlsx). It is free, and there is no email form. It has the rows below, formulas for the totals and closing cash, a flag for any week that ends below your minimum cash line, an Actuals sheet, a Variance sheet and a worked example with invented numbers. To build your own instead, put weeks across the top (Week 1 to Week 13) and these rows down the side.
| Row | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Opening cash | Week 1: the actual bank balance today. After that: last week's closing cash. |
| Customer receipts: invoices already issued | One line per large customer, or grouped. Use the week you expect payment, based on how they really pay. |
| Customer receipts: new sales | Only what you can reasonably expect to collect inside the thirteen weeks. |
| Other cash in | Deposits, refunds, interest, agreed funding. |
| Total cash in | Sum of the lines above. |
| Payroll and payroll costs | The pay date, not the period worked. |
| Contractors | The date you pay them. |
| Rent and utilities | The due date. |
| Supplier payments | Based on payment terms and your actual habits. |
| Software and subscriptions | Card or direct debit dates. |
| Loan repayments and interest | Fixed dates. |
| Tax payments | Dates and amounts from your tax professional. |
| Owner draws | When you actually take them. |
| One-off purchases | Equipment, deposits, repairs. |
| Total cash out | Sum of the lines above. |
| Net cash movement | Total cash in minus total cash out. |
| Closing cash | Opening cash plus net cash movement. |
| Minimum cash line | The lowest balance you are willing to run. Flag any week below it. |
Once a week has passed, enter what really happened so you can see where your estimates were off. The workbook does this on its Actuals and Variance sheets.
13 week cash flow example
Here is a short slice of a thirteen-week sheet with invented figures, to show how the rows connect.
Example (illustrative numbers only, first four weeks shown):
| Row | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening cash | $15,000 | $13,000 | $22,000 | $14,500 |
| Customer receipts | $6,000 | $21,000 | $4,000 | $9,000 |
| Total cash in | $6,000 | $21,000 | $4,000 | $9,000 |
| Payroll | $0 | $9,000 | $0 | $9,000 |
| Rent and utilities | $3,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Suppliers | $4,500 | $3,000 | $2,500 | $3,500 |
| Loan repayment | $0 | $0 | $9,000 | $0 |
| Total cash out | $8,000 | $12,000 | $11,500 | $12,500 |
| Net cash movement | minus $2,000 | $9,000 | minus $7,500 | minus $3,500 |
| Closing cash | $13,000 | $22,000 | $14,500 | $11,000 |
In this illustration, week two looks comfortable because a customer paid. A monthly view would blur that, and a loan repayment in week three would arrive without warning. The weekly layout is what makes the dip visible.
How do I build a 13-week cash flow forecast step by step?
- Get the real bank balance. Not the balance in your accounting software unless it has been reconciled to the bank. Reconciled books are the foundation, so records need to be current first. See bookkeeping.
- List everything that is already committed. Payroll dates, rent, loan payments, tax payments, subscriptions.
- List open customer invoices. For each, pick the week you really expect payment. Use your customers' past behavior, not your terms.
- Add supplier bills you owe. Place them on the date you plan to pay.
- Add expected new sales conservatively. Count only what you can collect inside the thirteen weeks.
- Calculate closing cash for every week and mark any week under your minimum.
- Decide what you would do about each weak week. For example, chase one customer, move a purchase, or talk to a lender early. See how to improve cash flow.
- Roll it forward weekly. Each week, enter the actuals, drop the finished week and add a new week thirteen.
Weekly or monthly: when is thirteen weeks the right tool?
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Cash is comfortable and costs are steady | A monthly cash flow forecast is enough |
| Cash is tight, or payroll depends on one payment | Thirteen-week |
| You are applying for a loan, or a lender may ask | Thirteen-week plus a longer financial forecast |
| You are planning a big purchase or hire | Thirteen-week, with scenarios |
When a 13-week forecast is not worth it
- If the business has little cash movement and a large cushion, a weekly sheet is more effort than it returns.
- If your books are not current, the forecast sits on guesses. Fix the records first.
- If nobody will update it weekly, it goes stale and gives false comfort.
- It looks only one quarter ahead. It does not replace longer planning.
Who can help with forecasting and cash planning?
Our fractional CFO service includes forecasting and cash flow planning, and the fractional controller service includes cash-flow monitoring. Our work runs on a monthly reporting cycle. See what we do and pricing. English Oak Financial does not prepare tax returns, audit accounts or give investment advice. This page is general information, not tax or investment advice.
Need this done for you? See our Fractional CFO & Advisory service, or pricing. English Oak Financial does not prepare tax returns, perform audits or give investment advice. This guide is general information, not tax, legal or investment advice.
Related pages
Common questions
What is a 13 week cash flow forecast?
It is a weekly projection of cash in, cash out and closing bank balance for the next thirteen weeks. It is built from real due dates and expected payment dates, not from profit.
How do you create a 13 week cash flow forecast in Excel?
Put Week 1 to Week 13 across the top and the rows from the template down the side. Link each week's opening cash to the prior week's closing cash, and use formulas for the totals. Start with your reconciled bank balance.
Why 13 weeks and not a shorter or longer view?
Thirteen weeks is one quarter. It is long enough to see many problems coming and short enough that estimates stay more believable. Some businesses use a longer view, but the further out you go, the less reliable the numbers.
Is a 13 week cash flow model the same as a budget?
No. A budget is a plan for income and costs over a period, usually a year. A thirteen-week model tracks actual cash timing week by week and is updated frequently.
How often should I update a 13 week cash flow forecast?
Weekly. Enter what actually happened, correct the weeks ahead, and add a new final week.
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