How to Actually Manage Cash Flow — The 13-Week Forecast | Books & Backbone

Checking your bank balance is not a cash flow strategy. It tells you where you are. It tells you nothing about where you're going.In this solo episode of Books & Backbone, Donna Harris gives you the tool that replaces the bank balance check with actual visibility — the 13-week rolling cash flow forecast. What it is, how to build it in about an hour, what to watch for once it's running, and exactly what to do when you see a problem coming three weeks before it arrives.What we cover:Why most business owners manage cash by feel — and what that costs themWhy checking your bank balance tells you almost nothing usefulWhat a 13-week cash flow forecast actually is — and why it's simpler to build than you thinkHow to set it up: the four columns, what goes in each one, and how conservative to be with your assumptionsThe dip weeks — what they are, how to spot them, and why seeing them coming changes everythingThe trend vs. the snapshot — why a slowly declining cash balance that looks fine today can look dangerous in ten weeksSingle points of failure — the large receivable your entire cash position depends onWhat to do when you see a problem coming: accelerate collections, hold discretionary expenses, draw on credit before you need it, talk to your banker earlyThe 20-minute weekly habit that makes the forecast actually workWhy the businesses that manage cash well aren't more sophisticated — they just have a simple system and use itReady to know what your cash position looks like for the next 90 days?Book a free 20-minute Financial Clarity Call: https://mysimplebookkeeping.com/contactMore from Bookkeeping Made Simple:Website: https://mysimplebookkeeping.comBlog — From Broke to Bankable: https://mysimplebookkeeping.com/from-broke-to-bankablePhone: 801-692-0032Donna Harris, MBA, MAcc is the CEO of Bookkeeping Made Simple LLC and host of Books & Backbone — the podcast for small business owners who want clean books, real clarity, and the financial foundation to build something that lasts.#cashflowmanagement #cashflow #smallbusiness #booksandbackbone #financialclarity #bookkeeping #13weekforecast #cashflowforecast #smallbusinessfinance #bookkeepingmadesimple #workingcapital #accountsreceivable #financialplanning #frombroketo bankable #smallbusinessownerSpotify DescriptionChecking your bank balance is not a cash flow strategy.It tells you what's in the account right now. It tells you nothing about what's coming in next week, what's going out the week after, or whether the slow month you can feel coming is going to be uncomfortable or genuinely dangerous.In this solo episode of Books & Backbone, Donna Harris walks through the tool that replaces the bank balance check with actual visibility: the 13-week rolling cash flow forecast. She explains exactly how to build it — the four columns, what goes in each one, how conservative to be with your assumptions — and what to watch for once it's running.She also covers what to do when the forecast shows a problem coming three weeks out. Accelerate collections. Hold discretionary expenses. Draw on a credit line before you need it, not when you do. Talk to your banker from a position of strength rather than desperation.The 20-minute weekly habit that keeps the forecast current. The six weeks it takes before the cash surprises almost disappear. And why the businesses that manage cash well aren't more sophisticated — they just have a simple system and use it.If you've ever been surprised by a cash crunch in a month that should have been fine, this episode is the fix.Donna Harris, MBA, MAccCEO, Bookkeeping Made Simple LLCmysimplebookkeeping.com | 801-692-0032