A 13-week cash flow forecast tracks all expected cash receipts and payments week by week over a rolling three-month period. Start by listing all anticipated income — customer receipts, grants, loan drawdowns — and all outgoings — wages, rent, supplier payments, tax, loan repayments. Use actual bank data and debtor/creditor information rather than assumptions where possible. Update the forecast weekly as actuals come in and projections change. The 13-week format is favoured by lenders and advisors because it provides both operational detail and enough forward visibility to anticipate and manage shortfalls. Most accounting software can export the raw data; the skill is in building realistic assumptions.
