Cash Flow Planning
Know where your cash will be, not just where it is today. We build and maintain a rolling 13-week forecast so you can see problems coming and make confident decisions about payroll, vendors, and growth.
What This Is
Cash flow planning means knowing where your money will be weeks from now, not just where it is today. We build and maintain a rolling 13-week forecast that shows expected inflows and outflows so you can see what’s coming before it arrives. This is different from budgeting or looking at your P&L. Budgets tell you what you hope to spend. Profit statements tell you what already happened. Cash flow planning tells you whether you’ll have enough in the bank next Friday to make payroll.
The forecast gets updated regularly with actual results, variance notes, and adjusted projections. When a customer pays late or a job starts early or material costs come in higher than expected, the forecast reflects reality and shows you how it affects the weeks ahead. You’re not working from a static document. You’re working from a living picture of your cash position.
The 13-Week View
The 13-Week View
We track when customer payments are expected to land, when bills come due, when payroll hits, when quarterly taxes arrive. The forecast shows your projected balance week by week so there are no surprises. You can look three months out and see exactly where the tight spots are.
Scenario Testing
Scenario Testing
Thinking about buying equipment or adding a crew member or taking on a project with slow payment terms? We model it against your forecast so you can see the cash impact before you commit. The same applies when things go wrong. What happens if that big receivable is 30 days late? You’ll know before it matters.
Why This Matters
A profitable business can still run out of cash. Revenue booked is not the same as money in the bank. If you’re a contractor waiting 45 days for a progress payment while paying crews every two weeks, you can be making money on paper and still scramble to cover payroll. The timing mismatch creates stress even when the business is fundamentally healthy.
Most business owners know what’s in the account today but have no idea what it will look like in six weeks. They’re constantly reacting. A big deposit lands and they feel flush. An unexpected expense hits and they panic. Without a forecast, every week feels like a guessing game. You’re always one slow payment away from a crisis you didn’t see coming.
The Timing Problem
The Timing Problem
Cash goes out in a steady stream. Payroll every two weeks, rent on the first, insurance quarterly, materials for the next job before you’ve collected on the last one. Cash comes in sporadically depending on customer payment habits and project milestones. The gap between outflows and inflows is where businesses get hurt.
The Seasonal Reality
The Seasonal Reality
MetroWest contractors know the winter slowdown well. Revenue drops for months while fixed costs stay the same. Without a plan, you burn through summer profits and start spring in a hole. Cash flow planning helps you build reserves during busy months and preserve them during the slow ones.
What Changes
You stop wondering if you can afford things and start knowing. Should you hire that new technician? Can you put a deposit on equipment? Should you take on that big project with 60-day payment terms? With a 13-week forecast, you can model the scenarios and see the impact before committing. The answer becomes clear instead of a gut feeling.
Problems become visible weeks in advance. Instead of realizing Friday morning that payroll won’t clear, you see the shortfall coming three weeks out. That gives you time to accelerate collections, delay a non-critical payment, or tap a line of credit before it becomes an emergency. You’re managing cash instead of reacting to it.
Decisions with Confidence
Decisions with Confidence
Every business decision has cash implications. Adding an employee costs a certain amount per month. That new truck requires payments plus insurance. Taking on a project means fronting materials for weeks before the first draw. With a forecast, you can test these scenarios and make decisions with your eyes open instead of hoping it works out.
Fewer Emergencies
Fewer Emergencies
Cash crunches rarely appear out of nowhere. They’re usually visible weeks in advance if you’re looking. A rolling forecast means you’re always looking. When a gap shows up on the horizon, you have time to close it before it becomes a crisis. The constant low-level anxiety about money starts to fade when you can actually see where you stand.
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