How to build a useful 13-week cash forecast

ClearCFO learning guide · Updated 27 September 2026 · Educational information

Use cash dates

Start from reconciled available cash. Schedule receipts when they are realistically expected, not when invoices are raised. Include payroll, suppliers, tax, debt service, capital expenditure and other commitments in their payment weeks.

Avoid false precision

Separate confirmed, expected and uncertain receipts. Record the source and owner of important assumptions. A single large collection should be visible rather than hidden inside an average weekly number.

Keep the forecast rolling

Replace the completed week with actuals, explain the difference and add a new week at the end. Distinguish timing changes from amounts that will never arrive. Track the minimum closing cash as well as the final balance.

Make the response specific

When a gap appears, assign decisions and dates: resolve a dispute, change a discretionary spending date or discuss funding. Do not assume a facility can be drawn until availability and conditions are checked.