Step 1: Start with today's cash
Use the actual balance in your business bank account as week one's opening balance.
Step 2: Forecast cash in
List expected customer payments by the week you realistically expect them — not when invoices are due. Include loan proceeds, tax refunds, and other inflows.
Step 3: Forecast cash out
Add payroll, rent, supplier payments, loan payments, taxes such as GST/HST remittances, and planned purchases in the weeks they will leave your account.
Step 4: Find the gaps
Opening balance plus cash in minus cash out equals closing balance, which becomes next week's opening balance. Any week that dips below your minimum comfortable balance is a gap to plan for — by delaying spending, speeding up collections, or arranging working capital in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Why 13 weeks?
Thirteen weeks is one quarter. It is short enough to forecast accurately week by week, yet long enough to see problems early.