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13-Week Cash Forecast Template for Startups (Free .xlsx)
The 13-week cash forecast is the standard short-term cash discipline in startup finance: one quarter of forward visibility, updated weekly. This template tracks weekly cash in, cash out, and running balance, and turns the ending-cash cell red automatically when the balance drops below $100K.
Best for: Every startup, and critical whenever cash is tight.
What's Inside
- Weekly cash in, cash out, and running balance across 13 weeks
- Editable yellow inputs with formula-driven totals
- Data bar on ending cash showing the trend at a glance
- Automatic red flag when projected cash falls below $100K
Like all our templates, it ships as a properly formatted .xlsx with live formulas, freeze panes, and conditional formatting. Yellow cells are editable inputs; everything else recalculates automatically.
How to Use It
- 1Enter your opening bank balance
- 2List expected receipts by week: collections, funding, other inflows
- 3List expected payments by week: payroll, rent, vendors, taxes
- 4Update every Monday in about 30 minutes; roll the window forward a week each time
- 5Watch the running balance line; any red cell is a decision that needs to happen now
Want the concepts behind the spreadsheet? 13-week cash forecast: definition and mechanics
Frequently Asked Questions
Why 13 weeks specifically?
Thirteen weeks is one quarter of forward visibility: long enough to see a cash problem while there is still time to act, short enough that weekly estimates stay accurate.
How long does the weekly update take?
About 30 minutes each Monday once the template is set up: update actuals for last week, adjust the coming weeks, and roll the window forward.
Is this template free?
Yes. Direct .xlsx download, no signup, opens in Excel, Google Sheets, and Numbers.
How is this different from a financial model?
A financial model projects months and years of P&L and runway for planning and fundraising. A 13-week cash forecast is an operating tool about actual bank balance, week by week, so payroll never surprises you.
More Free Templates
Templates get you started. When you want the numbers maintained for you, StartupCFO bundles a bookkeeper, CPA, and fractional CFO from $179/mo. See pricing.
