Free finance template
12-month cash-flow forecast
Assumptions on one sheet, a month-by-month forecast on another, and the lowest cash point.
It opens with this template loaded and runs in your browser. You don't need an account to use it; a free account saves your work and exports it.
The job it does
Before a launch or an investment: how much cash the plan needs, even when it is profitable. It comes with its own checks, so after you change it you can see at a glance that it still does the job.
How to use it with your own data
Change the assumptions sheet to your numbers, or import a CSV of monthly figures as a new sheet and link to it.
What's inside
This is the template exactly as the Finance Lab opens it, read-only. Open it to run it, change it and export it.
- 2 sheets
- 99 formulas
- Exports to Excel, CSV and PDF
Profit is not cash. The Inputs sheet holds the assumptions; the Forecast sheet reads them with references like Inputs!$B$4. Look for the lowest closing cash: that is how much money the plan needs, even if it is profitable by month 12.
- No formula errors anywhere
- Forecast!B11 is a formula, not a typed number
- Forecast!B12 is a formula, not a typed number
- Forecast!B13 is a formula, not a typed number
| Number | Value |
|---|---|
| Lowest cash | $10,276 |
| Months below zero | 0 |
| Cash after 12 months | $46,476 |
- Monthly sales growth: 6% (from -0.05 to 0.15)
- Cost of goods share: 71% (from 0.6 to 0.8)
- Opening cash: $60,000 (from 0 to 150000)
| Row | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cash-flow assumptions: a new store | |
| 2 | Opening cash | $60,000 |
| 3 | Sales in month 1 | $42,000 |
| 4 | Monthly sales growth | 6% |
| 5 | Cost of goods (share of sales) | 71% |
| 6 | Fixed costs per month | $14,500 |
| 7 | Fit-out paid in month 3 | $45,000 |
| 8 | Customers pay after (months) | 0 |
| Row | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 2 | Sales | $42,000 (formula =Inputs!B3) | $44,520 (formula =B2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $47,191 (formula =C2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $50,023 (formula =D2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $53,024 (formula =E2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $56,205 (formula =F2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $59,578 (formula =G2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $63,152 (formula =H2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $66,942 (formula =I2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $70,958 (formula =J2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $75,216 (formula =K2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) | $79,729 (formula =L2*(1+Inputs!$B$4)) |
| 3 | Cost of goods | -$29,820 (formula =-B2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$31,609 (formula =-C2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$33,506 (formula =-D2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$35,516 (formula =-E2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$37,647 (formula =-F2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$39,906 (formula =-G2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$42,300 (formula =-H2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$44,838 (formula =-I2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$47,529 (formula =-J2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$50,380 (formula =-K2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$53,403 (formula =-L2*Inputs!$B$5) | -$56,607 (formula =-M2*Inputs!$B$5) |
| 4 | Gross profit | $12,180 (formula =B2+B3) | $12,911 (formula =C2+C3) | $13,685 (formula =D2+D3) | $14,507 (formula =E2+E3) | $15,377 (formula =F2+F3) | $16,300 (formula =G2+G3) | $17,278 (formula =H2+H3) | $18,314 (formula =I2+I3) | $19,413 (formula =J2+J3) | $20,578 (formula =K2+K3) | $21,813 (formula =L2+L3) | $23,121 (formula =M2+M3) |
| 5 | Fixed costs | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) | -$14,500 (formula =-Inputs!$B$6) |
| 6 | Fit-out | $0 (formula =IF(B1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(C1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | -$45,000 (formula =IF(D1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(E1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(F1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(G1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(H1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(I1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(J1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(K1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(L1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) | $0 (formula =IF(M1=3,-Inputs!$B$7,0)) |
| 7 | Net cash flow | -$2,320 (formula =B4+B5+B6) | -$1,589 (formula =C4+C5+C6) | -$45,815 (formula =D4+D5+D6) | $7 (formula =E4+E5+E6) | $877 (formula =F4+F5+F6) | $1,800 (formula =G4+G5+G6) | $2,778 (formula =H4+H5+H6) | $3,814 (formula =I4+I5+I6) | $4,913 (formula =J4+J5+J6) | $6,078 (formula =K4+K5+K6) | $7,313 (formula =L4+L5+L6) | $8,621 (formula =M4+M5+M6) |
| 8 | Opening cash | $60,000 (formula =Inputs!B2) | $57,680 (formula =B9) | $56,091 (formula =C9) | $10,276 (formula =D9) | $10,283 (formula =E9) | $11,160 (formula =F9) | $12,959 (formula =G9) | $15,737 (formula =H9) | $19,551 (formula =I9) | $24,464 (formula =J9) | $30,542 (formula =K9) | $37,855 (formula =L9) |
| 9 | Closing cash | $57,680 (formula =B8+B7) | $56,091 (formula =C8+C7) | $10,276 (formula =D8+D7) | $10,283 (formula =E8+E7) | $11,160 (formula =F8+F7) | $12,959 (formula =G8+G7) | $15,737 (formula =H8+H7) | $19,551 (formula =I8+I7) | $24,464 (formula =J8+J7) | $30,542 (formula =K8+K7) | $37,855 (formula =L8+L7) | $46,476 (formula =M8+M7) |
| 11 | Lowest cash | $10,276 (formula =MIN(B9:M9)) | |||||||||||
| 12 | Months below zero | 0 (formula =COUNTIF(B9:M9,"<0")) | |||||||||||
| 13 | Cash after 12 months | $46,476 (formula =M9) |
The lesson behind it
Learn why it works, with a podcast and a quiz for each lesson.
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