Cash Flow Forecast

Profit and cash are not the same thing

A profit and loss statement can say a business made money in a given month and still miss the thing that actually closes it down: the bill was due before the invoice got paid. Profit is an accounting result, counted when income and expenses are earned or incurred. Cash is what’s actually sitting in the account on a given day. A forecast tracks the second one, because that’s the one the bank checks.

Why look a few months ahead instead of one

A single month’s balance only tells you where you stand today. A forecast strung across several months shows the shape of what’s coming: a quiet month you can already see three months out, or a big invoice landing right after a big supplier payment leaves, squeezing the balance in between even though both months are fine on their own. That squeeze is the whole reason to look ahead instead of just checking the bank app.

What to do when a shortfall is coming

Seeing a negative month early gives you room to act on it instead of reacting to it. The two levers that actually move the date: get money in sooner, by invoicing as soon as work is done instead of batching it at month end, or by asking a slow-paying client to move up a due date, and push money out later, by timing a discretionary purchase or a subscription renewal for the month after the dip instead of the month of it. This page won’t calculate financing, interest or a loan for you: it only shows you the gap early enough to close it yourself.

Your numbers stay yours

Everything you type stays in this browser tab, saved in this browser’s local storage so the forecast is still here next time you open the page. There is no account, no server, and nothing to upload. The CSV download is a plain file, written on your own device.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between profit and cash flow?

Profit is what you earned in a period (the difference between revenue and expenses). Cash flow is what is actually in the bank. A profitable month can still leave you short on cash if a big payment is due before invoices land.

Should I include invoices I sent but have not been paid yet?

No. Log when the money actually lands, not when you send an invoice. If an invoice is due in a month but you know it will take 30 days to pay, log the cash coming in the month after it lands, not when it was due.

What if a month has negative cash flow?

The forecast highlights it. A negative balance means you would need to cover the shortfall with savings or a loan. Use this as a prompt to either get money in sooner (ask clients to pay earlier) or push spending later (delay a discretionary purchase).

Can I model multiple scenarios (best case, worst case)?

No, this tool builds and stores one scenario at a time; there’s no way to keep several saved forecasts side by side in the tool itself. To compare scenarios, name and download the CSV for one, then build the next (which replaces it in the tool) and download that CSV too, and compare the files afterward in a spreadsheet.

Should I include VAT or tax payments in this forecast?

Yes, if you owe VAT or quarterly taxes. Log these as cash out in the month they are due. The forecast only shows what you enter, so forgetting to include taxes will make your balance look better than it actually is.

Related tools

• Profit and loss statement: profit says what you earned; cash flow says when the money is actually there. Run both if you want the full picture.
• Sales tracker: logs what you’ve already sold, month by month. This page is the same idea pointed forward, at what you expect is still coming.