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Empire AI Finance
Cash Flow Forecast
Project net cash flow, closing balance and runway in seconds — then understand the formula behind the numbers.
Your Numbers
Money coming in: sales, receipts, funding, refunds.
Money going out: salaries, rent, suppliers, software, tax.
Cash in the bank at the start of the period.
How many months to project forward.
A cash goal to measure the forecast against.
Closing Balance
£0.00
Enter inflows, outflows and opening balance to forecast cash.
Breakdown
- Monthly inflows
- £0.00
- Monthly outflows
- £0.00
- Net cash flow
- £0.00
- Opening balance
- £0.00
- Cash runway
- —
Keep Going
Model scenarios, plan revenue and protect your runway.
What Cash Flow Forecasting Means
Cash flow forecasting is the practice of estimating how much money will move in and out of a business over a future period. It is not the same as profit: profit measures revenue minus expenses, while cash flow tracks the actual timing of money.
A forecast answers one question early enough to act: will the business have enough cash to meet its obligations? It helps founders, operators and advisers spot pressure points before they become crises.
Cash Flow Formula
The forecast starts with three numbers: what is already in the bank, what is expected to come in, and what must go out.
Net cash flow
Inflows − Outflows
The monthly change in cash before the opening balance is added.
Closing balance
Opening + Net cash flow
The cash position at the end of the period.
Forecast closing balance
Opening + (Net × Months)
A simple projection over several months assuming the pattern holds.
Cash runway
Opening ÷ |Monthly net outflow|
Months of cover when outflows exceed inflows.
Worked Example
A service business starts the month with £8,000 in the bank. It expects £15,000 in client payments and has £12,500 of outgoing costs.
Opening balance
£8,000
Monthly inflows
£15,000
Monthly outflows
£12,500
Net cash flow
£2,500
£15,000 − £12,500
Closing balance
£10,500
£8,000 + £2,500
6-month forecast
£23,000
£8,000 + (£2,500 × 6)
Target balance of £20,000
Gap to target: +£3,000
If outflows rose to £17,000
Net cash flow: −£2,000; runway: 4 months
Use Cases
Cash flow forecasting applies to any business that needs to know whether it can pay what it owes, fund growth or survive a downturn.
Working Capital Planning
Know whether incoming revenue will cover payroll, rent and supplier payments before commitments are made.
Growth Scenario Modelling
Test how hiring, inventory purchases or marketing spend change cash reserves over the next quarter.
Runway & Survival Analysis
Calculate how many months the business can operate if revenue drops or costs rise unexpectedly.
Investor & Lender Updates
Produce clear cash projections and assumptions for funding conversations, covenants and board packs.
Mini-FAQ
Quick answers to the most common cash flow questions.
What is a cash flow forecast?
A cash flow forecast projects the money expected to flow in and out of a business over a future period. It shows whether cash reserves are likely to grow, shrink or run out.
How do you calculate net cash flow?
Net cash flow equals total cash inflows minus total cash outflows over the same period. A positive result means cash increased; a negative result means it decreased.
What is the difference between profit and cash flow?
Profit is revenue minus expenses on an accrual basis. Cash flow is the actual movement of money in and out of the bank. A business can be profitable but still run out of cash.
How many months should a cash flow forecast cover?
Most small businesses forecast 3 to 6 months for operational decisions and 12 months for budgeting and funding conversations. Longer horizons are useful but less reliable.
What is cash runway?
Cash runway is the number of months a business can keep operating before its cash balance reaches zero, assuming monthly net cash outflow stays the same.
Founder Vision
Empire AI was built from a conviction: the people who make the most important financial decisions deserve tools that respect their intelligence. Read the full mission, values and safeguards behind the platform.
Trust & Safety
Empire AI Finance is a software platform, not an investment or trading service. We do not provide financial advice, manage funds, promise returns, or ask users to deposit money outside our official subscription flow.
What Empire AI Finance Does Not Provide
Clarity begins with honest boundaries. The platform is software for analysis and workflow intelligence — nothing more.
Financial Advice
Empire AI Finance is software, not a regulated adviser. Outputs are informational and should be reviewed by a qualified professional before any decision is made.
Trading or Brokerage
We do not execute trades, access markets, place orders or operate as a broker-dealer, exchange or investment platform of any kind.
Deposit-Taking or Custody
We do not hold client money, deposits, cryptocurrencies or securities. Subscription payments are processed through secure third-party providers only.
Promises of Returns
We do not guarantee profit, cost savings, business outcomes or rates of return. Every projection depends on user data and factors outside our control.
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