How to create a weekly cash flow forecast for a small business

What should you ask Koody?

Open the chat in your Business workspace and ask:

"Create a weekly cash flow forecast for my business for the next four weeks. Show opening cash, expected money in, expected money out, and closing cash for each week. Explain the assumptions and flag any shortfall."

You can specify particular accounts or dates if you want a more focused forecast. Koody already has access to your recorded activity and projected balances; you do not need to repeat those figures in the chat. Add details only for plans or changes that are not yet reflected in your records, such as a new order or a customer's revised payment date.

How do your business records help?

Koody imports bank statements and auto-categorizes the transactions, so your income and expense history is available when you plan ahead. Regular bills and recent customer payments help you judge what a normal week costs and earns. Statement imports and automatic categorization are paid features.

Your current balance shows the money available today. Your projected balances show how recorded future activity would change it. An expected customer payment can therefore appear in the projection without being treated as cash already available to spend.

Koody can use your projected balances to prepare the forecast, including projections based on recurring payments and transactions you have already entered for future dates. That gives it information about money expected to arrive and leave your accounts. You only need to tell it about additional plans or changes that are not yet reflected in your records.

When will customers actually pay?

A customer payment recorded for a future date is already available to Koody when it prepares the forecast. Use the expected payment date for that transaction, rather than the date you send the invoice. If the customer changes their plans, you can ask: "That $2,000 payment is now expected next Friday. How does that affect the forecast?"

For income not yet recorded, recent takings and confirmed bookings can help estimate what will arrive. A barber may receive payment at each appointment, while a cleaner with commercial clients may wait several weeks. Give Koody any new information about those expectations, including delays before a card or platform payout reaches your bank.

Which payments belong in the forecast?

Recurring payments and expenses entered for future dates give Koody information about upcoming costs, such as rent, supplies, wages, subscriptions, and loan repayments. For an additional cost you have not recorded, you can ask: "What happens if I spend $600 on equipment in the second week?" An annual bill belongs in the week it will be paid.

For a forecast of bank cash, count the credit-card repayment when it leaves the bank, not both the card purchase and its repayment. Transfers between accounts included in the forecast should not create extra income or spending. These distinctions explain why profit and bank balance can differ.

How do you read the weekly forecast?

Koody can show the calculation in a table. Each week's closing cash becomes the next week's opening cash:

Closing cash = opening cash + expected receipts - expected payments

For example, a cleaning business has $2,000 available at the start of the forecast. With its expected receipts and payments included, the three weeks look like this:

1. Week 1: $2,000 opening cash + $1,500 receipts - $2,200 payments = $1,300 closing cash.
2. Week 2: $1,300 opening cash + $2,000 receipts - $1,800 payments = $1,500 closing cash.
3. Week 3: $1,500 opening cash + $1,000 receipts - $1,400 payments = $1,100 closing cash.

The business finishes with $1,100. It also needs enough cash on each payment date: a positive Sunday balance cannot cover a Tuesday bill if the customer pays on Friday. Ask Koody to break down a tight week by payment date when you need a closer look.

What happens if a customer pays late?

Ask: "What happens if the $2,000 payment expected in week 2 arrives in week 3 instead? Compare it with the original forecast."

Koody can recalculate the balances and explain the change. In this example, week 2 ends at negative $500, while week 3 still ends at $1,100 after the delayed payment arrives. The business needs to address the $500 gap even though the final balance is unchanged.

You can then follow up on the invoice, postpone an optional purchase, or discuss payment timing with a supplier. Testing the change in chat lets you see its effect before deciding what to do.

What should you update every week?

Keep recorded payment amounts and dates up to date, then ask Koody to refresh the forecast. Those records provide the latest information without you having to repeat it in the chat. You can ask which week has the least cash and which payments account for the change, or explore a new commitment before recording it.

Refresh the forecast as part of your weekly review, especially after a large sale or unexpected bill. With the arithmetic handled in the chat, you can focus on collecting payments and keeping enough money available for the business.

Sources

General cash-planning information. Sources accessed November 1, 2026.

• Australian Government: Cash-flow forecasts and opening and closing balances
• Bank of America: Cash-flow management for small businesses