03 Manage cash
Business cash flow planner
Start with the cash you have today, then enter what you expect to receive and pay each month. See each month's closing balance and any month that ends below zero.
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It runs in your browser, and JavaScript is turned off or blocked here. Turn it on to use the calculator, or work it out by hand with the formula and worked example below.
Your result
Enter your opening balance and the cash you expect in and out each month.
You will see
- Each month's closing (month-end) balance, carried forward
- Any month that ends below zero, in words
- Your lowest month-end balance and where you end up
Your figures stay in this browser tab. Nothing is saved or sent.
What to enter
- Opening balance
- Cash in your business accounts at the start of month 1. Use a minus sign if you start overdrawn.
- Cash received
- Money you expect to actually arrive that month: customer payments, loan funds, money you put in. Count an invoice in the month you expect to be paid, not the month you send it.
- Cash paid out
- Money you expect to leave the account that month: suppliers, payroll, rent, loan payments, taxes, owner draws. Count a bill in the month you pay it.
- Months
- Plan from 1 to 24 months. Add or remove months under the form. A blank amount counts as $0.
How it is calculated
- Net cash flow
- Cash received − Cash paid out
- Closing balance
- Opening balance + Cash received − Cash paid out
- Next month's opening balance
- This month's closing balance
Profit and cash are different. A profitable month can still leave less cash in the bank if customers pay late, you buy inventory or you repay a loan.
A month-end balance below zero means that, as entered, more has gone out by the end of that month than the account held. It is a signal to adjust timing or plan for the gap, not a verdict on your business.
The plan works in whole months, so it shows where each month ends, not the low point inside it. If a large payment leaves before money comes in, the account can dip lower partway through a month even when the month ends above zero.
Worked example
A business starts with $3,000.00 and plans three months.
- Month 1
- $3,000.00 + $6,500.00 − $7,200.00 = $2,300.00
- Month 2
- $2,300.00 + $4,800.00 − $9,600.00 = -$2,500.00 (ends below zero)
- Month 3
- -$2,500.00 + $9,400.00 − $6,400.00 = $500.00
Month 2 ends at -$2,500.00 even though month 3 recovers. That is the month to plan for: move a payment, collect sooner or set cash aside ahead of time.
Common questions
Why is cash flow different from profit?
Profit counts income when you earn it and expenses when you incur them. Cash flow counts money when it actually moves. Unpaid invoices, inventory purchases and loan repayments can make the two very different in any month.
What should I do if a month ends below zero?
Look at what drives that month: a large payment, slow collections or a seasonal dip. Options include moving a payment date, asking for deposits, following up on invoices sooner or setting cash aside earlier. If you are weighing a loan, the loan calculator shows what the payments would add.
Does this save my plan?
No. Your figures stay in this browser tab and clear when you leave or refresh the page. Note down anything you want to keep.
Keep the books current so the plan stays real.
Go Big Accounting handles general accounting, bank reconciliations and budgeting for small businesses.