01The lowest point is what matters
Not every week has to look good. The trough has to stay above zero, so the lowest balance and the week it lands in are the numbers to manage.
Step 1 of 3
Your starting point
The money in the bank today and the week the forecast starts. Everything else builds on these.
Usually a Monday
Weeks that fall below this turn amber
Step 2 of 3
Regular money in and out
Takings, wages, rent, supplier bills, VAT. Monthly items repeat on the same day of the month as their first date.
Add a regular item
Leave blank to start in week 1
Step 3 of 3
One-off items
Single dated payments in or out: an insurance renewal, a tax bill, a large job paid on completion.
Add a one-off item
What if?
Try a change and watch the lowest balance move. Your own figures stay as they are.
Sales volumeScales every sales and takings item up or down
Customers pay 2 weeks laterInvoiced sales arrive 14 days late. Till takings are paid on the spot and stay put.
One more staff memberAdds a monthly wage cost from week 1
Your 13-week forecast
Updates as you type. Every amount is treated as certain, so the forecast is only as good as the figures you enter.
Lowest balance
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Money in, 13 weeks
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Money out, 13 weeks
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Weeks below zero
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| Week starting | Money in | Money out | Net | Closing balance |
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Highlighted weeks are tight: the balance falls below your cushion or zero, or money goes out with nothing coming in.
How to read your forecast
02The cushion is your alarm line
Set it to the amount that lets you sleep, such as one payroll plus a buffer. Any week under it turns amber, well before real trouble.
03VAT and payroll weeks pinch hardest
Big payments land in lumps while income arrives week by week. The trough is almost always a tax or payroll week.
04Small leaks beat big one-offs
A forgotten monthly subscription or a quiet fortnight hurts more than most one-off bills. List every regular item, as that is where forecasts go wrong.