Small Business Cashflow Forecast Calculator
This calculator forecasts your small business cash flow month by month, so you can see whether you will stay solvent, when cash dips to its lowest, and if and when you might run out, the single most important thing for any small business to know. Profit and cash are not the same thing, and many profitable-looking businesses fail simply because they run out of cash at the wrong moment. A forecast answers the question every owner and lender asks: will there be enough money in the bank to keep going? This tool keeps the model simple and clear. You enter your starting cash, your current monthly revenue, your monthly expenses, an expected monthly revenue growth rate, and the number of months to project. The calculator then steps through each month, growing revenue, subtracting expenses, and tracking the running cash balance, and reports your ending cash at the end of the period, the lowest point your balance reaches along the way, and the month, if any, your cash goes negative. That lowest point matters as much as the end figure, because a business that ends the year healthy can still hit a cash crisis in a lean month in between. Use it to plan, to size an overdraft or working capital buffer, to time a hire or a big purchase, or to support a funding conversation with the bank. A negative balance is a warning to cut costs, raise prices, chase debtors faster, or secure finance before the gap arrives. This is a simplified forecast that assumes steady growth and even expenses; for tax, GST timing and seasonal swings, build a detailed forecast with your accountant.
A simplified forecast with steady growth and even expenses. Ignores GST timing, tax and seasonality. Build a full forecast with your accountant.
How it works
The forecast starts with your opening cash, then for each month it grows revenue by your growth rate, subtracts your monthly expenses, and adds the result to the running balance. It reports the ending cash, the lowest the balance reaches during the period, and the first month the balance turns negative, if any.
Worked example
Starting with $20,000, revenue of $12,000 growing 3 percent a month, and expenses of $14,000, the business loses $2,000 in month one and dips for several months while revenue catches up. Revenue passes expenses around month six, and the balance recovers, ending the year near $22,304 with a lowest point around $13,621. If the start cash were lower, it could go negative mid-year.
Related calculators
- Startup Cost: funding to start.
- Break-Even Calculator: sales to break even.
- Business Loan: borrowing to cover gaps.
- GST Due Dates: plan GST payments.
- GST Registration for Small Business: background on this topic.