Cash Flow Forecast Template for Small Business
A cash flow forecast template is a simple grid that lists the cash you expect to receive and pay out each period, then shows your cash balance at the end of each one. A ready-made Excel version is below, and you can also copy the layout into your own sheet. There is no sign-up and no form on this page.
Free download
Download the 12 month template (Excel)
Excel .xlsx. No email form. Formulas for totals and closing cash, a below-minimum flag and a worked example with invented numbers.
What goes into a cash flow forecast template?
Every cash flow forecast, whatever the software, has the same five blocks. If your sheet has these, it works.
- Opening cash. What is in the bank at the start of the period.
- Cash in. Money you expect to actually receive, not what you invoice.
- Cash out. Money you expect to actually pay, on the day it leaves the account.
- Net cash movement. Cash in minus cash out.
- Closing cash. Opening cash plus the net movement. This becomes next period's opening cash.
A common mistake is mixing up profit and cash. A sale you invoiced this month may not reach your bank for weeks. Our guide on profit vs cash flow explains the gap in more detail.
Cash flow forecast template for Excel or Google Sheets
Download: cash flow forecast template, 12 months (Excel .xlsx). It is free, and there is no email form. It has the lines below, formulas for the totals and closing cash, a flag for any month that ends below your minimum cash line, and a worked example with invented numbers. To build your own instead, copy the table into a blank sheet. Put one column per period (months suit many small businesses) and one row per line. Fill the empty cells with your own numbers, and let the totals be formulas.
| Line | Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening cash | from bank | = last closing | = last closing | First one is your real bank balance |
| Cash in | ||||
| Customer receipts | Use when the money lands, not the invoice date | |||
| Deposits and prepayments | ||||
| Other income (interest, refunds) | ||||
| Loan or owner funding in | Only if already agreed | |||
| Total cash in | sum | sum | sum | |
| Cash out | ||||
| Payroll and contractors | Include employer costs | |||
| Rent and utilities | ||||
| Suppliers and stock | Use supplier payment terms | |||
| Software and subscriptions | ||||
| Insurance | ||||
| Loan repayments | ||||
| Tax payments | Amounts come from your tax professional | |||
| Equipment and one-off purchases | ||||
| Owner draws | ||||
| Total cash out | sum | sum | sum | |
| Net cash movement | in minus out | in minus out | in minus out | |
| Closing cash | opening plus net | opening plus net | opening plus net |
If you use Excel or Google Sheets, make the opening cash of each period a formula that points at the closing cash of the one before. That one link is what makes the sheet roll forward without retyping.
Cash flow forecast example
The numbers below are made up to show the mechanics. They are not typical for any business.
Example (illustrative numbers only):
| Line | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening cash | $20,000 | $17,500 | $12,000 |
| Customer receipts | $30,000 | $26,000 | $34,000 |
| Total cash in | $30,000 | $26,000 | $34,000 |
| Payroll | $18,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| Rent and utilities | $4,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Suppliers | $9,000 | $8,000 | $10,000 |
| Loan repayment | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Total cash out | $32,500 | $31,500 | $33,500 |
| Net cash movement | minus $2,500 | minus $5,500 | $500 |
| Closing cash | $17,500 | $12,000 | $12,500 |
Look at the pattern, not the figures. In this illustration the business is still collecting more in month three than it spends, yet it started month two and three with less cash than before. That is the kind of thing a profit and loss report alone can hide. A forecast shows it early enough to act.
How do I fill in the template?
Work in this order. It keeps the sheet honest.
- Start with the real bank balance, not a book balance.
- Fill cash out first. Costs are easier to predict than sales.
- Fill cash in from your open invoices and how long customers usually take to pay. Be cautious with new sales that are not yet signed.
- Look at the closing cash line. Mark any period where it goes below the buffer you are comfortable with.
- Update the sheet each month with actual figures in place of the forecast, then roll forward one period.
Your bookkeeping feeds this. If your books are behind, the opening balance and the list of what customers owe are guesses. Our bookkeeping service and catch-up bookkeeping pages explain what we do.
When should I use a weekly template instead of a monthly one?
A monthly layout is fine when cash is comfortable. If cash is tight, or you are waiting on a large payment, a weekly view catches timing problems that a month hides. The thirteen-week cash flow forecast page has a weekly layout and a worked example.
When a template is not enough
A template is a good start and a poor substitute for judgment. Be honest about these limits:
- It only holds the assumptions you type in. A rosy sales line gives a rosy forecast.
- It does not test "what if". For that, see what is scenario analysis.
- It does not tell you whether your numbers are right. Records that are months behind will produce a forecast that looks precise and is wrong.
- If you do not have the time or the comfort with the numbers, that is where forecasting and cash flow planning from a fractional CFO helps. See what we do.
English Oak Financial does not prepare tax returns, audit accounts or give investment advice. This page is general information, not tax or investment advice. Ask your tax professional about the tax lines in your sheet.
What English Oak Financial charges
English Oak Financial starts the fractional CFO from $2,500 a month. Pricing is custom to your business and charged as one fixed monthly fee that includes all the work required. See pricing.
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 cash flow forecast template?
It is a pre-built grid that lists expected cash in and cash out for each period and calculates your closing cash. You fill in your own figures. The download is an Excel file (.xlsx), and other spreadsheet programs that open .xlsx files can use it. The layout also works if you copy it into any spreadsheet.
How do I make a cash flow forecast in Excel?
Open a blank sheet, put periods across the top and the lines from the table down the side. Make total rows formulas, and link each period's opening cash to the previous closing cash. Fill in your bank balance first, then costs, then expected receipts.
Is there a free cash flow forecast template?
Yes. The Excel file on this page is free, and there is no email form. You can also copy the table into your own spreadsheet.
How far ahead should a small business forecast?
It depends on the pressure on cash. A rolling monthly view for the year ahead is a common choice, with a weekly view when cash is tight. The right horizon is the one that gives you time to react.
How often should I update a cash flow forecast?
Update it whenever you close your books, at least monthly. Replace forecast figures with actuals, check where you were wrong, and roll forward one period.
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