· Reviewed by Nimra Khalid
What is a 13-week cash flow forecast?
A 13-week cash flow forecast is a weekly schedule of expected cash in and cash out for the next quarter, starting from today's bank balance. It is built from real items: customer invoices due, supplier bills, payroll runs, tax payments and loan payments. Each week the oldest week drops off, actuals replace estimates, and a new week is added.
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Cash flow forecasting: what we do and how it runs
A 13-week cash flow forecast is a weekly schedule of expected cash in and cash out for the next quarter, starting from today's bank balance. It is built from real items: customer invoices due, supplier bills, payroll runs, tax payments and loan payments. Each week the oldest week drops off, actuals replace estimates, and a new week is added.
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What it is
A 13-week cash flow forecast is a weekly schedule of expected cash in and cash out for the next quarter, starting from today's bank balance. It is built from real items: customer invoices due, supplier bills, payroll runs, tax payments and loan payments. Each week the oldest week drops off, actuals replace estimates, and a new week is added.
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What you get
13-week rolling cash forecast, updated every week
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How it runs
Built from your open invoices, bills, payroll and tax calendar
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Discovery call
A 20-minute call about your cash rhythm: when customers pay, when payroll runs, what the fixed commitments are, and the minimum balance you want to hold.
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A named accountant, a backup and a team lead
Inside your own software, on a fixed close calendar, with a reply from a person within 1 business day. Call +1-657-777-0006 or start a quote.
Get a custom quote 06 / 06
Who it is for
Owners who feel cash-tight every month
Revenue looks fine on the P&L but payroll week is stressful. A weekly forecast shows the dip three weeks early, when there is still time to act.
Businesses with lumpy receipts
Contractors, agencies and clinics that wait on progress billings, retainers or payer remittances need to see which weeks depend on which customers paying.
Businesses with a lender or investor
A bank line, factoring facility or investor update often requires a rolling forecast. A consistent weekly version, in the same format, answers the question before it is asked.
What's included
- 13-week rolling forecast in Excel, Google Sheets, Float or Fathom
- Opening balance tied to bank accounts each week
- Receipts forecast from aged receivables and customer payment patterns
- Payables forecast from approved bills and recurring commitments
- Payroll, superannuation or pension, and payroll tax dates from your calendar
- Sales tax, VAT, GST and income tax installments scheduled by due date
- Loan, lease and credit card payments from the amortization schedules
- Actual versus forecast variance for the week just ended, with reasons
- Low-point and minimum-balance flag for the coming 13 weeks
- Scenario columns for a late customer, a hire or a large purchase
- Weekly forecast note in plain English, sent to the LedgerDesk portal
- Monthly roll-forward that ties the forecast to the closed books
Deliverables and KPIs
| Deliverable | KPI we report | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| 13-week cash forecast | Updated and issued every week on an agreed day | Weekly |
| Opening balance tie-out | Week-one balance agrees to the bank to the cent | Weekly |
| Variance note | Every receipt or payment that missed its forecast week explained | Weekly |
| Low-point warning | Any week below your minimum balance flagged at least 3 weeks ahead | Weekly |
| Scenario view | Up to three scenarios maintained on request | As needed |
| Monthly reconciliation to the close | Forecast actuals agree with the month-end cash flow statement | Monthly |
KPIs are what we measure and report, agreed per engagement. Service-level commitments are set in your agreement.
How it works
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Discovery call
A 20-minute call about your cash rhythm: when customers pay, when payroll runs, what the fixed commitments are, and the minimum balance you want to hold.
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Data and calendar build
We pull open receivables and payables from your ledger, gather loan schedules and tax due dates, and set up the forecast template in your spreadsheet or Float account.
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First forecast and calibration
A named accountant issues the first 13-week forecast and compares it to the last eight weeks of actual bank activity to calibrate customer payment patterns.
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Weekly update cycle
Every week actuals replace the week just ended, the variance note explains the misses, and the forecast rolls forward. A monthly step ties it to the closed books.
Software we work in
How much does cash flow forecasting cost?
Cash flow forecasting is priced as a flat monthly fee based on the number of bank accounts and entities, how many scenarios you keep live, and whether we also handle receivables and payables. Engagements run month-to-month. Pricing depends on volume and scope, so we send a custom quote within 1 business day.
What moves the quote
- Number of entities and bank accounts in the forecast
- Whether receivables and payables data are already clean in the ledger
- Number of live scenarios and the update day you need
- Lender or investor formats that require a separate version
Market benchmarks
| Market | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US | Forecasting is usually part of review-backed plans at $400 to $800 per month; Pilot lists $499 to $599, rising to $989 at $1M revenue | indinero, RadCity (2026) |
| UK | Bookkeeping with management reporting runs £400 to £1,500 per month at higher volumes | UK provider pricing surveys (2026) |
| Canada | C$400 to C$800 per month for most SMBs, up to C$2,000 with reporting | Outsource Bookkeeping CA, TheAccTaxCo (2026) |
| Australia | A$850 to A$1,800 per month for companies with 1 to 5 staff | Australian bookkeeping fee surveys (2026) |
Third-party ranges for orientation, not our prices.
Get a custom quote No setup fee. Month-to-month.
Cash flow forecasting for your industry
Case study
2 years of books caught up
Case studyTwo years of catch-up bookkeeping for a contractor before a bank loan
A general contractor in the Mountain West had run for two years on bank balances and a box of receipts. The business was busy, but when the owner applied for an equipment and working-capital loan, the bank asked for two years of financial statements, and the QuickBooks Online file had not been touched since the previous bookkeeper left. The owner engaged LedgerBPO for catch-up bookkeeping, bank reconciliation and financial reporting. A named accountant, a backup and a team lead rebuilt 24 months of books inside the contractor's existing QuickBooks Online file, reconciled every account and prepared the statements the lender asked for. The contractor's CPA reviewed the results and handled the tax returns. LedgerBPO handled the books.
- Months of books outstanding240
Security and compliance
- Read-only bank feeds where your bank supports them; we never move money
- Forecast files live in your drive or Float account; MFA on every login
- Customer and supplier names appear only where you choose to show them
Full control list on the security page and country rules on the compliance page. Certifications are listed only when held.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cash flow forecasting services cost?
Pricing depends on volume and scope, and we send a custom quote within 1 business day. As a market reference, US providers typically include forecasting in review-backed plans at $400 to $800 per month; Pilot lists $499 to $599 per month, rising to $989 at $1M in revenue (indinero, RadCity, 2026). UK equivalents sit inside the £400 to £1,500 fixed-fee range.
Why 13 weeks and not 12 months?
Thirteen weeks is one quarter, which is far enough ahead to act on a shortfall and close enough that the numbers are real invoices and bills rather than guesses. A 12-month view is useful for planning and belongs in our budgeting service; the 13-week forecast is for steering the next payroll and the next tax payment.
How accurate will the forecast be?
Weeks one to four are usually close because they rest on invoices already issued and bills already approved. Later weeks depend on customer habits, which we calibrate from your last eight weeks of receipts. The weekly variance note shows how far off last week was so accuracy is measured rather than assumed.
What data do you need from me?
Accountant access to your ledger, read-only bank feeds, your payroll calendar, loan and lease schedules, and tax due dates. If we already do your bookkeeping and accounts receivable, we have most of it. Anything missing goes on the open-items list each week.
Which tools do you build the forecast in?
Excel or Google Sheets templates are the default because everyone can open them. Float and Fathom are used where you already subscribe, since they pull invoices and bills directly from Xero and QuickBooks Online. The model stays in your account either way.
Can you run what-if scenarios?
Yes. Common ones are a large customer paying 30 days late, a new hire starting next month, buying a vehicle or piece of equipment, or drawing on a credit line. We keep up to three scenarios live beside the base forecast and retire them when the decision is made.
Does the forecast help with lenders?
Yes. Banks and factoring companies often ask for a rolling forecast and like to see it in the same format each time. We produce a lender version from the same model, and our investor reporting service can add covenant calculations if your facility has them.
What happens when the forecast shows a shortfall?
We flag the low week at least three weeks ahead in the note and on the forecast itself. Your named accountant lists which receipts would fix it and which payments could move. The decision is yours; we do not move money or negotiate with suppliers on your behalf unless you engage our accounts payable service.
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