Virtual CFO
13-week cash flow forecast
A 13-week cash flow forecast tracks what actually clears your UK bank accounts week by week, so a tight week is visible with enough notice to act, whether that means chasing a late-paying customer, delaying a purchase or drawing on a facility before it becomes urgent.
13-week cash forecast
Illustrative client · August 2026
GBP
- 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.
Cash runs out on a specific day, not over a month
Look at any UK company that gets caught short, and it is rarely because the annual numbers were wrong. It is because payroll landed the same week as a large supplier payment and a large customer paid a week late. A monthly budget cannot see that collision; a week-by-week model can.
What feeds the model
The starting point is your actual debtor and creditor ageing, current bank balances, and everything you already know is coming: payroll dates, a VAT payment, an instalment on Corporation Tax, rent, a big one-off purchase. We hold the model against reality every week, and when forecast and actual diverge we explain why rather than quietly resetting the numbers, which is the only way a forecast still means anything by week ten.
Who actually needs this
Businesses with lumpy income, a contractor billing on milestones, a retailer with a seasonal peak, or fast growth that keeps changing what normal cash looks like, get the clearest benefit. It also does double duty as the document a bank or invoice-finance provider wants to see before renewing a facility, since that is exactly the forward view most UK lenders ask for.
The weekly rhythm
Every week you get an updated 13-week view and a short note on what changed and why. Pair it with budgeting for the annual plan sitting above it, and with fractional CFO time if a tight week turns into a bigger conversation than a note can carry.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: 13-week cash flow forecast
How far ahead can a 13-week forecast warn us of a cash problem?
The model is rebuilt weekly 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 bank feeds already connected inside Xero or QuickBooks Online, is normally enough. We do not need the ability to move money.
Does the forecast include our VAT payments?
Yes. VAT liabilities, along with PAYE, National Insurance and Corporation Tax instalments, are built into the model as scheduled outflows so they never land as a surprise.
Can the forecast include our overdraft or invoice finance facility?
Yes. We build in your facility's available balance and any borrowing base restrictions, so the model shows real liquidity rather than just the bank balance.
How is a seasonal dip in cash handled in the forecast?
A known seasonal pattern, such as a slow quarter or a large annual payment, is built into the forecast from your prior year's actuals rather than assumed to be a flat, average week every week, so the model warns you about a predictable dip well ahead of it.
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 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
- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
- Construction and job costingBookkeeping for contractors and builders who need cost and profitability tracked by job, not just by month.
- HospitalityBookkeeping for hotels, short-term rentals and hospitality operators reconciling booking platform payouts and occupancy-driven revenue.
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.