The Small Business Cash Flow Calculator estimates the net movement of cash during a period and the resulting ending balance. It combines operating cash receipts, other inflows, operating payments, debt payments, capital purchases, and owner distributions.
The tool is useful for short-term liquidity planning because a profitable business can still face a cash shortage when customers pay slowly, inventory is purchased early, or loan and equipment payments are due. Use actual payment dates or realistic collection assumptions rather than accounting revenue and expenses that have not yet moved through the bank account.
1. Choose the cash-planning period and enter the bank balance at its start.
2. Enter customer payments and other operating receipts expected during the period.
3. Add financing proceeds, asset-sale proceeds, or other non-operating inflows.
4. Enter operating payments based on when cash will actually leave the business.
5. Add loan principal and interest payments, equipment purchases, and owner distributions.
6. Review ending cash and adjust timing assumptions to identify potential shortfalls.
Ending cash is the projected available balance after all entered cash movements.
The model does not automatically account for minimum bank balances, restricted cash, unused credit lines, or timing within the period.
Given: Opening cash of $18,000; operating receipts of $92,000; other inflows of $5,000; operating payments of $78,000; debt and capital payments of $12,000; owner distributions of $4,000.
Calculation: Inflows = $97,000. Outflows = $94,000. Net cash flow = $3,000. Ending cash = $18,000 + $3,000 = $21,000.
Result: The period ends with an estimated $21,000 cash balance.
Cash flow uses actual receipts and payments. Profit can include credit sales, unpaid bills, depreciation, and other non-cash or timing differences.
No. Enter them as other cash inflows because borrowing increases cash but is not operating revenue.
Include cash paid for equipment in debt payments and capital purchases, even if accounting rules depreciate the asset over time.
This calculator requires a non-negative cash balance. Track an overdraft or drawn credit line as debt and reflect its cash effect separately.
Run a separate calculation for each week using the prior week’s ending balance as the next week’s opening balance.