Cash flow forecast
Enter your balance
to forecast your cash flow
What is cash flow?
Cash flow is the net movement of money into and out of your business over a period of time. A cash flow calculator forecasts that movement month by month, so you can see whether your starting balance will cover your expenses — and spot the month you might run short before it actually happens.
Two simple formulas drive the whole forecast:
Net cash flow tells you whether a single month adds to or drains your bank account. Running balance carries that result forward, so each month builds on the last. For example, if you start with $12,000, bring in $7,000 a month, and spend $9,000 a month, your net cash flow is −$2,000. That balance hits zero in month 6 and goes negative in month 7 — the month you run out of cash. Seeing that gap early is the whole point.
A single-month snapshot cannot show you this. Two businesses with the same net cash flow can be in completely different shape: one with a large starting balance has months of breathing room, while one running close to zero is one slow month away from trouble. Tracking the running balance across several months is what turns a number into a decision — hire now or wait, take the project or pass, draw down savings or raise your rates.
How to use this calculator
Enter your starting balance. Put in the cash you have on hand right now — the actual money in your business bank account, not what you are owed. This is the foundation the entire forecast builds on.
Add your monthly money in and money out. Enter your expected monthly cash inflows (sales, retainers, paid invoices) and outflows (rent, payroll, software, taxes). The calculator works out your net cash flow and projects a running balance across every month.
Set the forecast length and growth. Choose whether to project 3, 6, or 12 months ahead, and add an optional monthly growth rate if you expect income or costs to rise. The result shows your ending balance, your lowest point, and the exact month a shortfall appears — if one does.
Once you can see when your cash runs short, use the Break-Even Calculator to work out the sales volume you need to turn that balance positive again.