Cash Flow Forecasting Services
Know what your bank balance will look like in 13 weeks, not just what last quarter's profit was. Accountant-reviewed cash flow forecasts for UK businesses, built around real payment timing.
Why cash, not profit
Profitable businesses still run out of money.
Profit and cash are different things. A business can invoice well, show a healthy margin and still be short in the week a VAT payment, a payroll run and a supplier invoice land together. Cash flow forecasting maps the timing, not just the totals.
We build the forecast around when money actually moves: customer payment behaviour, supplier terms, VAT quarters, PAYE dates, loan repayments, dividends and any seasonal pattern in your trade.
- 13-week short-term forecast at weekly resolution
- 12-month forecast at monthly resolution
- VAT, PAYE and corporation tax payment dates modelled
- Debtor and creditor timing based on real behaviour
- Minimum cash balance and the dates it is tightest
- Scenario view for slower receipts or lost income
Who it's for
When a cash flow forecast is the right service.
Seasonal businesses
Trades with quiet periods that need to know how far the busy season's cash has to stretch.
Growing businesses
Growth consumes cash. Hiring, stock and longer debtor days all bite before the extra profit arrives.
Businesses with tax pressure
Where VAT and PAYE dates are the pinch points and you need to see them before they arrive.
Owners planning a big decision
A hire, a vehicle, premises or equipment — modelled against cash before committing.
What we produce
Deliverables.
- Weekly 13-week cash flow with opening and closing balances
- Monthly 12-month forecast tied to your P&L expectations
- Working capital summary: debtors, creditors and stock
- Tax payment calendar built into the cash line
- Downside scenario showing headroom if receipts slip
- Written assumptions and a walkthrough call
How it works
Our process.
Initial call
We establish the pressure points, the period you need visibility over and how the business gets paid.
Scope and fixed fee
We confirm whether you need a one-off forecast or an ongoing rolling one, and quote a bespoke fixed fee.
Data collection
We take your bookkeeping data, aged debtors and creditors, payroll costs, loan schedules and known one-off commitments.
Build
We build the forecast at the right resolution, with timing rules that reflect how your customers and suppliers actually pay.
Accountant review
A qualified accountant sense-checks the timing assumptions and the tax dates before the forecast is issued.
Handover or rolling update
Either hand over the model for you to maintain, or we update it on an agreed cycle as part of ongoing support.
Related
Cash flow works best on clean records.
A forecast is only as good as the underlying bookkeeping. If records are behind, our bookkeeping service and cloud bookkeeping guidance get the data current first.
For ongoing monthly numbers and a rolling forecast rather than a one-off model, see our Virtual Finance Director service. If the forecast supports a funding application, see business loan financial forecasts.
Assumptions and limitations
What a forecast can and cannot do.
- A cash flow forecast reflects expected timing based on your data and assumptions. Customers paying late or early will change the outcome.
- It is a planning tool, not a guarantee of solvency, and it does not constitute insolvency or formal financial advice.
- Short-term forecasts age quickly. A 13-week forecast is most useful when refreshed weekly or fortnightly.
- Tax payment figures are estimates based on current information; actual liabilities follow the filed returns.
- Accuracy depends on up-to-date bookkeeping. Out-of-date records will produce a forecast that looks precise but is not.
Common Questions
What is a 13-week cash flow forecast?
A weekly view of expected cash in and out over the next quarter, showing the closing bank balance each week. Thirteen weeks is long enough to see a VAT quarter and several payroll runs, and short enough that the timing detail is still realistic.
How is cash flow forecasting different from a profit forecast?
A profit forecast records income and costs when they are earned or incurred. A cash flow forecast records them when the money actually moves — so it captures payment terms, VAT quarters, PAYE dates and loan repayments that profit alone hides.
How often should the forecast be updated?
Short-term forecasts benefit from a weekly or fortnightly refresh. A 12-month forecast is usually reviewed monthly or quarterly, or whenever something material changes such as a hire, a new contract or a funding facility.
Can you use my Xero or FreeAgent data?
Yes. Where you use cloud bookkeeping, we can work from your live ledger, aged debtors and creditors, which makes the forecast quicker to build and easier to keep current.
Do you offer ongoing cash flow support?
Yes. Some clients want a one-off model they maintain themselves; others prefer us to update a rolling forecast as part of ongoing advisory support. We'll discuss which fits on the initial call.
How much does it cost?
Fees are bespoke and quoted after scoping, because the work depends on the state of your records and whether you need a one-off or rolling forecast.
Related Articles
Want visibility on the next 13 weeks?
Book an initial call and we'll talk through your payment cycle, the pressure points and what the forecast needs to cover.