Understanding cash flow forecast
See what's coming in and going out over the next 30 days, and what to do next.
Picture this: You've sent out invoices to customers, you have regular expenses due, and you're not exactly sure how the rest of the month is going to play out.
Your Autobooks Dashboard provides a clear snapshot of how much money is expected to come in, how much is likely to go out, and whether you're on track for a surplus or shortfall. And depending on your situation, you will see a suggested next step to help you stay ahead of it.
That's the Cash Flow Forecast, a feature that helps you see around the corner, whether things are looking good or a little tight.
What is the Cash Flow Forecast?
The Cash Flow Forecast appears on your Autobooks Dashboard and projects the money coming in versus the money going out over the next 30 days, using your real business activity: your invoicing history, your payment activity, and your recent spending patterns.
The forecast shows you three key numbers:
- Coming in: the total you're projected to receive over the next 30 days
- Going out: your estimated expenses over the next 30 days
- Surplus or Shortfall: the bottom line, whether you're projected to come out ahead or behind
Unlike a simple balance, the forecast looks ahead, so you can plan for what's coming, not just react to what's already happened.
When do I see my Cash Flow Forecast?
The Cash Flow Forecast is available to a wide range of Autobooks businesses. Whether you see it, and which suggested next step appears with it, is determined automatically based on your payment, invoicing, and accounting activity.
What does the Cash Flow Forecast show me?
Your 30-day snapshot
At the top of the forecast, you'll see your Coming in, Going out, and Surplus or Shortfall for the next 30 days, along with a chart showing your last 8 weeks of activity next to the 4-week projection ahead, so you can see the trend, not just a single number.
The explanation
Below the numbers, click How we calculated this to see where the projection comes from. It's based on your invoicing and payment history, not always a guarantee, but a helpful estimate to plan around.
Your next step
Beneath the forecast, you may see a suggested action tailored to your situation:
- Reminders for past-due invoices: if you have overdue invoices, you can send a payment reminder to a customer right from your Dashboard, without digging through your invoice list (click here to learn how to send past-due invoice reminders).
- Connect additional accounts: if you're already collecting payments with no overdue invoices, connecting more of your accounts helps make your forecast even more complete (this option is for those businesses that subscribe to Autobooks Accounting).
- Start accepting online payments: if you haven't applied to process online payments yet, getting started helps you get paid faster and gives you a fuller forecast going forward.
Not every business will see a suggested action. Some will just see the forecast on its own, which is still useful information to manage your business.
Why don't I see the Cash Flow Forecast?
The Cash Flow Forecast tile is a newer feature of Autobooks and is rolling out to businesses. Your business may not be set up to view the Cash Flow Forecast tile yet.
Additionally, if your business is enrolled in Autobooks Capital, you'll see the Capital version of the Cash Flow Forecast instead, which includes tools for managing your Capital draw. Learn more in Understanding Your Cash Flow Forecast for Autobooks Capital.