A business could be generating strong profit on paper, but still running out of cash to pay suppliers, cover payroll, or rent. A cash flow forecast helps avoid unwelcome surprises, and plan ahead.
Download your free cash flow forecasting template here, and watch the following walkthrough to learn how to customize it for yourself.
Video Walkthrough
Who Should Use This Template?
The template is built, first and foremost, as an exercise for a hypothetical SaaS company considering hiring a salesperson or sales force. However, that’s purely for search engine optimization marketing reasons: we had to optimize for keywords, and chose those.
Many organizations may find it valuable. It comes with built-in data visualizations, marketing spend vs. customer acquisition cost estimations, data fields for estimating the balance between overhead and monthly revenues, and more.
- Startups or small businesses running on a thin cash cushion, and want better visibility into the coming months.
- Organizations managing irregular income, seasonal swings, or lags between billing clients and getting paid.
- Established companies preparing for a major investment interested in stress-testing whether the timing works.
Regardless of what type of organization you’re running, it’s detailed enough to be worth investing the time to customize, but not so detailed that it’s overwhelming.
Why Cash Flow Forecasting Matters
Profit and cash are not the same thing, and confusing the two is more common than you might expect.
For established businesses using accrual accounting, revenue you book today may not hit your account for month(s). In the meantime, payroll, rent, and supplier invoices won’t wait. Forecasts make timing gaps visible before they become emergencies, and give you the lead time to arrange your finances to compensate.
Beyond avoiding crises, forecasting also sharpens everyday decision-making. When you have clarity on the near, medium, and long-term futures, challenging choices are a little bit more manageable.
What This Template Will Help You See
- How does customer churn impact margins?
- If you make an investment, how long will it take to break even?
- How long until you turn a profit?
- What does it cost to acquire a customer, and what is their lifetime value to the business?
- How much cash do you need in order to last until break-even?
- How does monthly revenue accumulate over time as we add monthly and annual subscribers?
Further Helpful Materials
- Webinar replay: Financial Forecasts That Actually Work
- Webinar replay: Stories Inside the Numbers
- Article: What Is the Ideal Burn Rate for a Growing Company?
