Some of the resources (such as Excel Spreadsheets) are focused on helping financial professionals such as Chief Financial Officers, Financial Managers, and Business Analyst resolve specific issues. Other resources, such as free online training, are more general with the goal of helping educate anyone on how accounting and finance works within. Cashflow Game Spreadsheet Pertaining To Cash Flow 101 202 Excel Spreadsheets Stampletter. Kline Published Full size is 1366 × 768 pixels.

Cashflow 101 & 202 Excel Spreadsheets
Cashflow 101 202 Excel Spreadsheets 2016

Multipart article

by Andy Marker on May 08, 2017

A cash flow statement, also referred to as a statement of cash flows, shows the flow of funds to and from a business, organization, or individual. It is often prepared using the indirect method of accounting to calculate net cash flows. The statement is useful for analyzing business performance, making projections about future cash flows, influencing business planning, and informing important decisions. The term “cash” refers to both income and expenditures and may include investments and assets that you can easily convert to cash. By conducting a cash flow analysis, a business can evaluate its liquidity and solvency, compare performance among accounting periods, identify cash flow drivers to support growth, and plan ahead to maintain a positive cash position.

Below you’ll find a collection of easy-to-use Excel templates for accounting and cash flow management, all of which are fully customizable and can be downloaded for free.

Elements of a Cash Flow Statement

A cash flow statement is typically divided into the following sections to distinguish among different categories of cash flow:

Operating Activities: Cash flows in this section will follow a company’s operating cycle for an accounting period and include things like sales receipts, merchandise purchases, salaries paid, and various operating expenses.
Investing Activities: Some examples of investing activities include buying or selling assets, making loans and collecting payments, and generating cash inflows or outflows from other investments.
Financing Activities: This section may include activities such as receiving money from creditors or shareholders, repaying loans and paying dividends, and selling company stock, as well as other activities that impact equity and long-term liabilities.

A statement of cash flows can summarize information for any accounting period, but if you’re starting a new business or planning for the months ahead, creating a cash flow projection can help you anticipate how much money your business will have coming in and going out during a future time frame.

Creating a Cash Flow Forecast

Projecting future cash flows can give you greater financial control, provide a deeper understanding of a company’s performance, help identify shortfalls in advance, and support business planning so that activities and resources are properly aligned. New businesses trying to secure a loan may also require a cash flow forecast.

In order to set yourself up for success, it’s imperative to be realistic when forecasting cash flows. You can build your projections on a foundation of key assumptions about the monthly flow of cash to and from your business. For instance, knowing when your business will receive payments and when payments are due to outside vendors allows you to make more accurate assumptions about your final funds during an operating cycle. Estimated cash flows will always vary somewhat from actual performance, which is why it’s important to compare actual numbers to your projections on a monthly basis and update your cash flow forecast as necessary. It’s also wise to limit your forecast to a 12-month period for greater accuracy (and to save time). On a monthly basis, you can add another month to create a rolling, long-term projection.

A cash flow forecast may include the following sections:

Operating Cash: The cash on hand that you have to work with at the start of a given period. For a monthly projection, this is the cash balance available at the start of a month.
Revenue: Depending on the type of business, revenue may include estimated sales figures, tax refunds or grants, loan payments received or incoming fees. The revenue section covers the total sources of cash for each month.
Expenses: Cash outflows may include your salary and other payroll costs, business loan payments, rent, asset purchases, and other expenditures.
Net Cash Flow: The closing cash balance, which reveals whether you have excess funds or a deficit.

Keep in mind that while many costs are recurring, you also need to consider one-time costs. Additionally, you should plan for seasonal changes that could impact business performance, and upcoming promotional events that may boost sales. Depending on the size and complexity of your business, you may want to delegate the responsibility of creating a cash flow forecast to an accountant. However, small businesses can save time and money with a simple cash flow projections template.

Excel Bookkeeping and Cash Flow Templates

To help you get started creating a cash flow statement or forecast, we’ve included a variety of customizable templates that you can download for free. Simply adjust your chosen template to fit your specific goals and the intended audience. Each template offers a clean, professional design and is intended to save you time, boost efficiency, and improve accuracy. Just enter your financial data, and the templates will perform automatic calculations for you to analyze. By combining your cash flow statement with a balance sheet, income statement, and other forms, you can manage cash flow and get a comprehensive understanding of business performance. Smartsheet offers additional Excel templates for financial management, including business budget templates.

Accounts Payable Template

This accounts payable template tracks suppliers, order numbers, and amounts due to help you manage payments and due dates. Easily organize ordering stock or supplies from multiple vendors with this template for greater efficiency and fewer errors.

Download Accounts Payable Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Accounts Receivable Template

Don’t let balances owed to your business slip through the cracks. This template accounts receivable template lists customers, invoice tracking details, amounts due, and outstanding balances. Keeping track of these accounts can inform your collections process by helping you quickly identify which overdue payments have aged significantly.

Download Accounts Receivable Template

Excel| Smartsheet

Balance Sheet Template

A balance sheet provides a summary of financial health in a single, brief report. With this balance sheet template, you can assess the financial standing of a business by examining assets, liabilities, and equity. Business owners can use it to evaluate performance and communicate with investors.

Download Balance Sheet Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Income Statement Template

Use this income statement template to assess profit and loss over a given time period. This template provides a clear outline of revenue and expenses along with net income figures. You can edit the template to match your needs by adding or removing detail, and create an income statement for a large or small business.

Download Income Statement Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Simple Cash Flow Template

This template works for any length of time and allows you to compare different periods for a quick analysis of cash flows. It include sections for an itemized list of revenue and expenditures, automatic calculations of totals and net cash flows, and a simple layout for ease of use. You can modify the template by adding or removing sections to tailor it to your business.

Download Simple Cash Flow Template

Excel | Smartsheet

3-Year Cash Flow Statement Template

Use this statement of cash flows template to track and assess cash flows over a three-year period. The template is divided into sections for operations, investing, and financing activities. Simply enter the financial data for your business, and the template completes the calculations.

Download 3-Year

Cashflow 101 202 Excel Spreadsheets