A 13-week cash flow forecast shows, week by week, how much cash the business will have over the next quarter. It is the tool lenders, turnaround advisors and bankruptcy courts rely on, because it shows a shortfall weeks before it happens, while there is still time to act. This free Excel template follows the standard direct-method format used in turnarounds and in Chapter 11 cash collateral budgets.

Download the free 13-week cash flow template (Excel)

What is inside

  • A 13-week forecast of cash receipts and payments, with the week dates filled in automatically.

  • Opening and ending cash for every week, a minimum cash target, and red flags for any week that falls below it.

  • The lowest cash point and the week it happens, at a glance.

  • An actual-versus-forecast sheet to track variances every week.

  • Short instructions and sample figures showing how to fill it in.

How to use it

  1. Enter the Monday that starts week 1, your opening bank balance and the minimum cash you never want to go below.

  2. Replace the sample figures with the receipts and payments you expect each week. Record cash when it actually moves: customer payments when they reach the bank, bills when you pay them.

  3. Look for the first week that turns red. That is your deadline to act: collect faster, re-time payments, cut costs or talk to your lender.

  4. Every week, enter actual results, review the variances and roll the forecast forward one week.

Common mistakes

  • Forecasting from invoices instead of cash. Revenue on paper does not pay payroll.

  • Leaving out payroll taxes, sales tax, loan payments, rent or daily merchant cash advance debits.

  • Updating the forecast monthly. In a cash squeeze, weekly is the minimum.

  • Running with no buffer. A common starting point is two to four weeks of operating payments.

When the forecast shows a shortfall

A shortfall you can see ten weeks out is a problem you can still solve. If the forecast shows cash running out despite the first fixes, it is time for a deeper look at the business, and possibly a conversation with lenders or counsel about restructuring options. Our Turnaround & Restructuring page explains how we help, and Why Companies File Chapter 11, and How They Recover explains why cash, not profit, usually decides the outcome.

Questions about your forecast? Contact us.

The template and sample figures are general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.