A small business owner came in with a healthy bank balance and active projects. Despite the momentum, one question stood out: could they start paying themselves a monthly income?
The goal was clear — they wanted to take this business full time, and doing that meant understanding cash flow and standing throughout the month. We could start small and work on cash flow for the next 90 days.
Together we collected: monthly recurring expenses, one-time payment of expenses, and annual expenses due throughout the quarter.
Please note this example is limited in scope and only for illustration purposes.
Expense Mapping. Every recurring and one-time expense was catalogued with amount, frequency, and due date.
| Expense | Frequency | Due | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Monthly | 3rd | $2,500 |
| Software Subscription | Monthly | 20th | $120 |
| Utilities | Monthly | 13th | $120 |
| Marketing / Advertising | Monthly | EOM | $750 |
| Insurance | Annual | Mar 31 | $600 |
| Website Hosting / Domain | Annual | Jan 15 | $250 |
| Annual LLC Filing | Annual | Apr 15 | $250 |
| Estimated Tax Payment | Quarterly | Jan / Apr / Jun | $1,200 |
| Contractor Payment | One-Time | Feb 3 | $750 |
| Office Supplies | One-Time | Mar 1 | $500 |
| Inventory | One-Time | Jan 2 | $2,500 |
| Tax Preparation | One-Time | Feb 15 | $750 |
Income Mapping. Review projects invoiced and due date of invoice. For the purposes of this exercise, we assume timely cash collection.
| Project | Amount | Invoiced | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project A | $3,000 | 12/1/2024 | 1/2/2025 |
| Project B | $1,500 | 12/20/2024 | 1/20/2025 |
| Project C | $2,000 | 1/4/2025 | 2/4/2025 |
| Project E | $3,000 | 1/12/2025 | 2/12/2025 |
| Project F | $2,000 | 2/15/2025 | 3/15/2025 |
| Project G | $2,500 | 2/28/2025 | 3/28/2025 |
Weekly Rolling Forecast. The forecast was built week by week across a 90-day window. The weekly structure makes it easy to spot where expenses cluster and income is thin — most importantly, when the balance gets close to the cash floor.
Tracking frequency should match the business — higher volume operations require daily check-ins.
Below you can see two versions of this condensed case example. The first is pure cash in and out, and the second shows what it would look like to take income at the end of each month. The client was easily able to see the cash position.
| 1/5 | 1/12 | 1/19 | 1/26 | 1/31 ME | 2/2 | 2/9 | 2/16 | 2/23 | 2/28 ME | 3/2 | 3/9 | 3/16 | 3/23 | 3/30 | 3/31 ME | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash In | — | — | — | $1,500 | — | — | $2,000 | $3,000 | — | — | — | — | $2,000 | — | $2,500 | — |
| Cash Out | (5,000) | — | (1,570) | (120) | — | — | (3,250) | — | (120) | (1,500) | (500) | (2,500) | (250) | (120) | — | (1,350) |
| Net Cash | $12,500 | $12,500 | $10,930 | $12,310 | $12,310 | $12,310 | $11,060 | $14,060 | $13,940 | $12,440 | $11,940 | $9,440 | $11,190 | $11,070 | $13,570 | $12,220 |
| 1/5 | 1/12 | 1/19 | 1/26 | 1/31 ME | 2/2 | 2/9 | 2/16 | 2/23 | 2/28 ME | 3/2 | 3/9 | 3/16 | 3/23 | 3/30 | 3/31 ME | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash In | $3,000 | — | — | $1,500 | — | — | $2,000 | $3,000 | — | — | — | — | $2,000 | — | $2,500 | — |
| Cash Out | (5,000) | — | (1,570) | (120) | — | — | (3,250) | — | (120) | (1,500) | (500) | (2,500) | (250) | (120) | — | (1,350) |
| Owner Draw | — | — | — | — | (4,000) | — | — | — | — | (4,000) | — | — | — | — | — | (4,000) |
| Net Cash | $15,500 | $15,500 | $13,930 | $15,310 | $11,310 | $11,310 | $10,060 | $13,060 | $12,940 | $7,440 | $6,940 | $4,440 | $6,190 | $6,070 | $8,570 | $3,220 |
This project produced a 90-day weekly cash forecast — one that strictly explores income and expense, and another showing the impact of a monthly owner draw. This gave the owner several items to explore:
The owner left the engagement with a working tool they can update on a daily or weekly basis. As time passes, confidence in cash visibility will grow. This knowledge brought our owner closer to becoming full time.