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See The Cash Crunch Before It Arrives
A forward view of what's coming in and going out, built around payroll, tax payments and the seasons, so big decisions get made with the cash picture in front of you.
Cash Flow Forecasting For Michigan Small Businesses
Profitable businesses run short of cash more often than you'd expect. The P&L can show a strong quarter while the bank account is thin, because profit and cash move on different schedules. Inventory gets paid for before it sells. Customers pay late. Loan principal and owner draws never show up as expenses at all.
Our cash flow analysis and forecasting closes that gap. We look back at where cash actually went, then look forward at what's coming, week by week, so you hear about a tight month while there's still time to do something about it. It's part of our accounting and financial reporting services for businesses across Michigan and virtually anywhere in the country.
Where Profit And Cash Part Ways
These are the usual reasons the bank balance and the P&L tell different stories.
A 13-Week Forecast Built Around Your Calendar
The core of the work is a 13-week cash flow forecast: a rolling, week-by-week view of the next quarter. Thirteen weeks is short enough to be accurate and long enough to act on. As it rolls forward, we compare actual results with what we expected, so the forecast gets sharper over time.
We build it around the dates that actually move your cash: every payroll run, the 20th of the month for Michigan sales tax, your quarterly estimated tax payments, loan payments, rent and the big seasonal vendor orders. A longer monthly view covers the rest of the year for bigger planning.
The forecast sits next to your monthly financial reporting package, one looking back and one looking ahead. Bigger questions, like financing a building or budgeting a second location, move into business financial planning.
Michigan Seasons Show Up In The Bank First
A seasonal Michigan business can earn much of its year between June and October, then carry payroll, rent and loan payments through a long, quiet winter. Knowing in August how far the summer cash will stretch is worth far more than finding out in February.
We plan the slow months while the busy ones are still happening: how much to set aside, when to reorder, and when to talk to your bank about a line of credit.
Cash Flow Questions Owners Bring Us
What is a 13-week cash flow forecast?
It's a week-by-week projection of cash coming in and going out over the next quarter. Because it works in weeks rather than months, it catches the timing problems a monthly budget hides, like two payrolls and a sales tax payment landing in the same week.
Do I need a forecast if my business is profitable?
Profitable, growing businesses often need it most. Growth ties up cash in inventory, receivables and new hires before the extra profit comes back around. A forecast shows how much growth your cash can support right now, and when a conversation with your bank makes sense.
How does a forecast help me decide on hiring or equipment?
We add the decision to the forecast and see what happens. A new hire becomes a payroll line starting on a real date. A piece of equipment becomes a down payment and a monthly loan payment. You see the lowest point the bank balance would reach before you commit.
Can you build a forecast if my books are behind?
Not reliably. A forecast starts from an accurate cash position and a clear picture of what's owed in both directions. If the books are behind, we get them current first, then build the forecast on top, and we scope that catch-up work with you in writing before it starts.
Tools That Sharpen The Cash Picture
Statements, comparisons and a written note on what moved each month, built from the same closed books.
Monthly financial reporting package in detail Business Financial PlanningBudgets, projections and scenario work for growth, expansion or equipment purchases beyond the next quarter.
Business financial planning in detail Fractional CFO ServicesAn outside advisor for targets, capital and financing decisions once the forecast raises bigger questions.
Fractional CFO services in detail Accounting & Financial Reporting OverviewMonthly reporting packages and cash flow forecasting, built on books that are already closed and reconciled.
Return to Accounting & Financial ReportingFind Out How Far This Summer's Cash Will Stretch
Book a free consultation and bring your last few months of bank statements. We'll show you what a 13-week forecast could reveal about your business.