Free 13-week cash flow template as a plain .xlsx file
In short
A 13-week cash flow template lists the cash you expect to receive and pay each week for the next quarter, rolls the balance forward and shows your lowest week. The free CFO Brain starter does this on one tab, opens with an example business filled in, and shows your runway in weeks.
Get the free 13-week starter
Download the starter (no email)One 13-week tab. A standard .xlsx file, checked in Apple Numbers. Not yet checked in Excel or Google Sheets. It opens with an example business already filled in, so you can see the week its cash drops under the floor before you type a number. It shows your runway in weeks and the week your cash is lowest.
- A 13-week cash line with the week your cash is lowest
- Your runway in weeks
- No account, no bank login
Want the full system instead? See what is inside.
Get the starter and the Friday routine by email
What a good 13-week template needs
Eight things separate a forecast you can act on from one you fill in once and forget. Here is what the free starter covers and what the full workbook adds.
| Need | Why it matters | Free starter | Full workbook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening balance from the bank, not the books | Books lag the bank. The forecast starts from the cash you really have. | Yes | Yes |
| Cash in by the week it lands, not the invoice date | A sale is not cash until the customer pays. | Yes | Yes |
| Cash out including payroll, tax and debt | The big payments decide which week gets tight. | Yes | Yes |
| Ending cash that rolls forward | Each week starts where the last one ended. | Yes | Yes |
| A minimum cash floor | It turns "positive" into "safe enough". | Yes | Yes |
| A lowest-week flag | You see the tight week before it arrives. | Yes | Yes |
| Actual vs forecast log | It shows which assumptions keep missing. | No | Yes |
| A scenario for a new cost | Test a hire before you sign. | No | Yes |
Why 13 weeks
Thirteen weeks is one quarter: four 13-week blocks make 52 weeks. It is long enough to see a payroll cycle, a tax payment and a slow-paying client, and short enough to stay concrete. The business.gov.au guide to cash flow statements says timing is what matters: find payment cycles and seasonal trends, and plan ahead so there is money to cover payments.
Fill it in in 10 minutes
- Start cash. Type what your bank account shows today, not what the books say.
- Set the Friday. Pick the date your week 1 ends and keep the same weekday every week.
- Cash in. For each week, type the money you expect to arrive, by the week it lands.
- Cash out. Type payroll, suppliers, rent, software, tax and debt in the weeks they leave.
- Set the floor. Decide how many months of fixed costs you want in the bank at all times. Two is a common start.
- Read two cells. Weeks of cash, and the week your cash is lowest.
Five mistakes that make a 13-week forecast useless
- Starting from the accounting balance. Start from the bank.
- Using invoice dates. Use the date you expect the money.
- Forgetting payroll and tax weeks. They are the weeks that break a plan.
- Cutting instead of copying when rolling forward. Cutting breaks formulas. Copy, then paste one column over.
- Never logging actuals. Without last week's real numbers you cannot tell which assumption is wrong.
Starter or full workbook?
If you want to see your runway and your lowest week, the starter is enough. If you want to keep the forecast honest every week, test a hire or a bad quarter, and see which assumptions keep missing, the workbook adds the log, the scenario test, the working-capital view and the prompts.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. The starter is free with no time limit. You can download it without giving an email address, or ask for it by email with the Friday routine.
Do I have to give an email?
No. There is a direct download on this page. If you choose the email path, you confirm your address first, then the starter arrives and a short series of emails follows. You can unsubscribe with one click.
Does it work in Excel and Google Sheets?
A standard .xlsx file, checked in Apple Numbers. Not yet checked in Excel or Google Sheets.
What is a 13-week cash flow forecast?
A list of the cash you expect to receive and pay in each of the next 13 weeks, with the balance rolled forward. It shows the week your cash is lowest, before it arrives.
How often should I update it?
Every week. Type your real bank balance, log last week, and roll the 13 weeks forward. About 15 minutes on the same weekday.
Sources
- business.gov.au: Set up a cash flow statement. Read on 9 October 2026.
Related
Not sure it fits? Ask.
A free 15-minute call is enough to find out, and you never need to buy anything.