Excel · .xlsx, no macros · 7 sheets

Cash-Flow Forecast (13-week + 12-month)

Your bank balance, week by week for 13 weeks and month by month for a year, so the tight weeks show up before they arrive.

  • Excel for Microsoft 365 Yes
  • Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365) Yes
  • Excel for the web Partly
  • Excel 2021 Yes
  • Full matrix
cash-flow.xlsx

Dashboard

W1W2W3W4W5W6
Closing38.541.233.929.735.122.8
Minimum15.015.015.015.015.015.0

Blue = inputs you change. Black = formulas.

Closing cash by week, EUR k
Minimum 15.0W11: 16.9, low point
ReadyMarlow & Pine JoinerySample data, fictional

Rendered from the template's own layout with made-up numbers for Marlow & Pine Joinery, a company that doesn't exist.

What it answers

  1. Which week does the balance get tight, and how tight?
  2. Can we pay payroll, VAT and the supplier run in the same week?
  3. What happens if our two biggest customers pay 30 days late?
  4. Where do we stand in twelve months if nothing changes?
  5. Did last week's forecast match what actually happened?

What's in the file

SheetWhat it does
Read meWhat it is, six steps to use it, a guide to each tab, the colour code (mint cells are inputs, grey cells are formulas), the limits, the no-advice line, licence and support.
SettingsThe company's name, start date (a Monday), opening cash, currency label, the minimum cash you want to keep, and the customer collection days and supplier payment days that drive the 12-month view.
13-weekWeek columns. Receipts by customer or category (six rows) and payments by category: payroll, social charges, suppliers, rent, VAT, loans, vans, software and insurance, other. Net flow, opening and closing cash, headroom over your minimum, and a "Below buffer" warning for any week that dips under it.
12-monthMonth columns driven by your monthly figures: sales invoiced, supplier invoices, payroll, rent, taxes, capex, financing in and loan repayments. Collection and payment days delay the cash. Closing cash, a buffer warning, and a memo of what is uncollected or unpaid.
Weekly actualsWhat really came in and went out each week, set against the 13-week forecast, with the variance and the actual closing cash.
Actuals vs forecastThe same comparison by month, on eight lines: forecast from the 12-month tab, actual typed in, variance, variance percentage and actual closing cash.
SummaryThe lowest point and the week or month it hits, how many weeks and months fall below your buffer, and 12-month totals. Three charts: weekly closing cash against the buffer, month-end cash against the buffer, and cash in against cash out.
Format.xlsx, no macros, no circular references, sheets unprotected. 13 weeks by week, 12 months by month. The sample company is a made-up joinery, Marlow & Pine.

Plugging in your own data

Takes longest the first time, because you're writing down what you already carry in your head.

  1. 1

    On Settings, set the start date (a Monday), today's bank balance, the minimum you want to keep, and your collection and payment days.

  2. 2

    On 13-week, list expected receipts by customer and week: open invoices first, then what you expect to invoice. List payments the same way: payroll, rent, VAT, loan, suppliers, one-offs.

  3. 3

    On 12-month, type the monthly figures. Put invoices dated before the start in the two Opening rows.

  4. 4

    Check the collection and payment days on Settings; they decide when the 12-month cash actually moves.

  5. 5

    Read the Summary.

  6. 6

    Each Monday, type last week's real figures into Weekly actuals and each month the monthly actuals, then roll the start date forward.

What your data has to look like

ColumnWhat goes in it
Customer or categoryrow label, any text
Week 1 … Week 13amounts expected that week; leave empty where nothing moves

Will it work on your machine?

Will it work on your machine?
App and versionWorks?Notes
Windows
Excel for Microsoft 365Yes
Excel 2021Yes
Excel 2019Excel 2019: fine. The formulas stick to SUMIFS, INDEX and MATCH, nothing that needs dynamic arrays.YesExcel 2019: fine. The formulas stick to SUMIFS, INDEX and MATCH, nothing that needs dynamic arrays.
Excel 2016Excel 2016: should open and calculate. Some chart formatting may look different.PartlyExcel 2016: should open and calculate. Some chart formatting may look different.
Mac
Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365)Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365): fine. Nothing in the file uses Power Pivot or macros, which is what usually breaks on a Mac.YesExcel for Mac (Microsoft 365): fine. Nothing in the file uses Power Pivot or macros, which is what usually breaks on a Mac.
Browser
Excel for the webExcel for the web: opens, calculates, slicers and drop-downs work. Editing gets slower in the bigger tabs.PartlyExcel for the web: opens, calculates, slicers and drop-downs work. Editing gets slower in the bigger tabs.
  • Excel 2019 and later.

Built for the versions marked ✓. We check every file before it goes on sale, but we haven't tried every setup. If something doesn't work in yours, tell us and we'll fix it or refund you.

No macros in any file. Nothing asks you to enable content.

What the licence lets you do

What you can doSingleTeam
Who can use the fileYou, one named personUp to 10 named people in the same company
Use it in your own business or jobYesYes
Send the outputs (charts, PDFs, slides) to anyone, clients includedYesYes
Edit anything: formulas, colours, layout, logoYesYes
Pass the file itself to someone elseNoOnly inside the team of 10
Resell, upload, rebrand or publish it as a templateNoNo
Price€59€129

More than 10 people? Ask us at office@primedigitallabs.com. Both licences are a one-off price. Nothing renews.

Read the licence in full

Updates and help

Bug fixes
Bug fixes are free for as long as we sell this template. Get the newest version any time with your order number on the download page.
Support
Questions go to office@primedigitallabs.com. We usually reply within 2 working days.
What support covers
Support covers how the template works and anything that's broken. Rebuilding it around a different data structure is custom work, and we're happy to quote for that.

Probably not for you if

  • You want it filled from your bank feed automatically. You type or paste, which keeps you honest.
  • You need a full three-statement forecast with a balance sheet. The Startup 3-Statement Model does that.
  • You're a personal budgeter. It'll work, but it's built around invoices, payroll and VAT.

  • Startup Finance Pack

    Also in the Startup Finance Pack: 3 templates for €159 instead of €187.

    Bundle · 3 files
    €159team €349

  • Startup 3-Statement Model (5-year)

    Linked P&L, balance sheet and cash flow over five years.

    Excel · .xlsx, no macros11 sheets
    Win YesMac YesWeb Partly
    €99team €199

Questions people ask about this one

Why 13 weeks?

It's a quarter, which is about as far ahead as you can list real invoices and payments. Past that the 12-month view takes over, from monthly figures instead of line items.

Does the 12-month view build on the 13-week one?

No. They are two forecasts that start from the same opening cash. The 13-week view is typed line by line; the 12-month view is driven by your monthly figures and your collection and payment days.

Can I model a customer paying late?

Move their receipt to a later week on the 13-week tab and watch the Summary. For the 12-month view, change the customer collection days on Settings.

Does it handle VAT?

As a payment line. You enter the VAT you expect to pay and when. It doesn't calculate VAT returns.

Is this suitable for showing the bank?

You can send them the Summary as a PDF, like any output. Whether the bank wants it in that form is their call.

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