Review criteria
- +Weekly or monthly projected cash position
- +Opening and closing balance per period
- +Runway and low-balance highlighting
- +Works in Google Sheets and Excel
Cash Flow Forecast in Small Business
The Cash Flow Forecast is a copy-ready spreadsheet for small business that tracks inflows, outflows, opening/closing balance, runway. It opens unchanged in both Google Sheets and Excel, needs no add-ons or macros, and takes about 15 minutes to set up.
Last updated: August 2026
Excel workbook · opens in Google Sheets · 3 tabs · no sign-up
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What’s inside “Cash Flow Forecast”
Tabs: How to use · Weekly forecast · SettingsFormat: Excel (.xlsx) · opens in Google SheetsSetup: About 15 minutesColumns: 6
Columns (grey = calculated for you)
- Week starting
- Expected inflows
- Expected outflows
- Main items
- Net
- Closing balance
- Open the Weekly forecast tab and replace the sample rows with your own — one row per entry. Formulas fill in automatically for new rows.
- Enter the cash you expect in and out each week: invoices you'll collect, bills and payroll you'll pay. Closing balance carries forward from the opening balance on the Settings tab.
- Set a cash buffer. Weeks below buffer counts how often the balance dips under it, so you can act weeks ahead.
- Using Google Sheets? Upload the file to Google Drive, then open it with Google Sheets (or File → Import in an open sheet). Formulas, dropdowns and highlights carry over.
The file opens locally on your device — nothing is uploaded, and you own the copy outright.
Cash Flow Forecast
About this template
It is built for people who want results without another subscription: owners avoiding a cash crunch before it happens. The whole template is free to copy — there is no paid tier. Because it is a plain spreadsheet, you own your data outright and can shape every column to how you actually work.
Review evidence
What to verify before choosing Cash Flow Forecast
Use the review criteria below to decide whether this template fits your workflow.
Often worth considering when
- +Owners avoiding a cash crunch before it happens
- +Anyone projecting runway month by month
Pause before choosing when
- -Automatic bank-balance syncing
- -Accrual accounting
About Small Business
Why people consider this option
- +Run the books without paying for accounting software you barely use
- +Hand the same sheet to your accountant at tax time — no export needed
- +Customize categories to how your business actually operates
What to review before acting
- -No automatic bank feed unless you add a sync tool
- -Outgrows a spreadsheet once you need payroll or multi-user accounting
Trust FAQ
Questions people ask before copying a template
Does the Cash Flow Forecast work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes. It is built with standard functions and no macros, so it opens and works the same in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel — on desktop or your phone.
Is the Cash Flow Forecast really free?
The core template is free to copy and use. There is no paid tier — download the Excel workbook, replace the sample rows with your own, and you are ready to work.
What does the Cash Flow Forecast track?
It tracks inflows, outflows, opening/closing balance, runway. The workbook comes with these columns plus the formulas, dropdowns and highlights already set up. Replace the sample rows and the totals update as you go.