90-day cash-flow forecast for small businesses
A cash-flow forecast answers one question: on which day could the account drop below zero? You build it from three things you already have: today's balance, the invoices to collect and the invoices to pay.
The method in three steps
- Start from today's balance across all the business's accounts.
- Add expected receipts on the due dates of the invoices you issued, and subtract payments on the due dates of the invoices you received.
- Add the fixed outgoings that don't come with an invoice: salaries, F24 tax payments, loan instalments, rent.
The result is a day-by-day line of the projected balance. The lowest point on that line is the number that matters.
An example
| Date | Movement | Projected balance |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Opening balance | €12,000 |
| +10 days | Supplier payment −€8,500 | €3,500 |
| +16 days | Salaries and F24 −€6,200 | −€2,700 |
| +30 days | Customer receipt +€9,800 | €7,100 |
The month closes positive, but for two weeks the account is in the red. Knowing this a month ahead lets you ask a customer to pay early, move a payment, or arrange an overdraft without any rush.
Doing it automatically
CassaChiara reads your e-invoices, puts every due date on the calendar and draws the 90-day forecast, with an alert for the first day the balance goes below zero. For now, fixed outgoings without an invoice (salaries, F24) have to be kept in mind separately: the chart already shows where the invoice due dates fall.
See your cash-flow forecast
Load the invoices from your cassetto fiscale and enter today's balance.
Try it free with your invoices See pricingFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cash-flow forecast and a budget?
A budget looks at costs and revenues on an accrual basis; a cash-flow forecast only looks at when money actually enters and leaves the account.
How often should it be updated?
Every week, or whenever new invoices arrive. With CassaChiara you just load the files again.
Does it suit a flat-rate (forfettario) business?
Yes: even without VAT, receivable and payable due dates work the same way.