Virtual CFO
13-week cash flow forecast
A 13 week cash flow forecast tracks what actually clears your Canadian bank accounts week by week, including GST/HST remittances and payroll source deductions, so a tight week is visible with enough lead time to act, whether that means chasing a slow paying customer or drawing on a line of credit before it becomes urgent.
13-week cash forecast
Illustrative client · August 2026
CAD
- Cash today
- $244,220
- Lowest week ahead
- 239,800
- Largest outflow
- Payroll, 46,300
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
Why weeks, not months
An annual budget tells you whether the year is on track. It does not tell you whether payroll clears if a large customer pays five days late. A 13 week forecast works in weeks because that is the unit a Canadian business actually runs out of cash in: rent, payroll source deductions, GST/HST remittances and supplier terms all land on specific dates, not smoothly across a month.
How the model is built
We start from your actual accounts receivable and payable aging, current bank balances, and known upcoming items such as payroll runs through Wagepoint or your payroll platform, GST/HST remittance dates, and any loan payments. Each week the forecast is compared against what actually cleared, and any gap between forecast and actual gets explained, which keeps the model reliable 13 weeks out rather than only for the first two.
Where it earns its keep
Seasonal businesses, construction and project based companies waiting on progress billings, and any business growing quickly enough that receivables and payables move week to week, get the most value from a rolling view. It is also the working document behind a line of credit conversation or a covenant test, since most Canadian lenders ask for exactly this kind of forward looking cash visibility.
What lands in your inbox each week
A rolling model, refreshed weekly, always showing the coming 13 weeks, with a short note on what changed since the previous week and why. It pairs with lender covenant reporting when a facility requires regular reporting, and with budgeting for the annual view sitting behind it.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: 13-week cash flow forecast
How much warning does a 13 week forecast give before a cash problem?
The model is rebuilt every week and looks 13 weeks ahead, so a tight week is usually visible well before it arrives, giving you time to act rather than react.
Do you need our online banking login to build this?
Read only bank access or connected bank feeds inside QuickBooks Online or Xero are enough. We never need the ability to move money.
Is this worth building if we do not currently have cash problems?
Yes. Fast growing businesses often hit a cash timing problem before they hit a profitability problem, and the forecast catches that gap early, well before it shows up as a missed payroll run.
Can the forecast include a revolving line of credit?
Yes. We build in the facility's available balance and any borrowing base limits so the model reflects real liquidity rather than just the bank balance.
What exactly is included in 13-week cash flow forecast?
A 13-week rolling model built from your actual receipts and payables, and weekly variance review comparing forecast to what actually happened. This work runs inside Excel or Google Sheets, whichever your business already has in place, and it rolls into your regular monthly close rather than sitting off to the side as a separate, unreconciled process.
How is a 13-week forecast different from a budget?
A budget is an annual plan by month. A 13-week forecast tracks actual cash in and out by week, which is what matters when cash is tight or growth is fast.
What do you need from us to build it?
Bank access, your accounts receivable and payable aging, and a list of known upcoming payments such as payroll, rent and loan payments.
How often is it updated?
Weekly, so the model always reflects what actually cleared the bank rather than drifting from reality.
How is 13-week cash flow forecast priced?
Pricing for 13-week cash flow forecast depends on your transaction volume, the software you use, and how much cleanup is needed before ongoing work starts. Current ranges are published on the pricing page, and your exact fee is confirmed in writing before anything begins.
Related services
- Virtual CFOFractional CFOA senior finance lead who works your numbers on a part-time basis: monthly reviews, board and investor prep, and a second opinion before a big decision.
- Virtual CFOLender covenant reportingRecurring reports built to your loan agreement's exact definitions, delivered on the schedule your lender requires, so a covenant test never comes as a surprise.
- Virtual CFOBudgetingAn annual budget built from your real numbers, broken out by month and department, that becomes the baseline every later report is measured against.
Industries
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.