The Fundamentals of Cash Flow Forecasting
Overview
Cash flow forecasting is one of the most critical aspects of running a business of any size. Knowing when money is coming in or going out and how much is being exchanged is often the deciding factor when it comes to making key business decisions. Whether your organization is in growth mode, status quo, losing ground or survival mode, cash flow forecasting is critical to your success. Are you confident in your current forecasting strategy? This course can help you!
Inadequate cash flow forecasting management is one of the leading causes of business failure. Many organizations only begin to focus on cash flow management during bad times. Having a good system in place to manage cash flow during good times contributes to an organization's success, allowing it to take advantage of opportunities for growth and providing a competitive edge.
Does your organization have an effective cash flow forecasting strategy in place, or do you find yourself…
- Constantly running short of cash due to out of control expenses?
- Falling victim to inadequate planning for purchases, upgrades or replacement of big-ticket items?
- Unaware of the cost associated with slow-paying and no-paying customers?
- Unable to pay bills or payroll even though sales and profit are up?
- Facing increased risks or missed opportunities associated with projecting cash flow too high… or too low?
An effective cash flow training course can help you avoid these common pitfalls and put you in complete control of your resources. From this workshop, you'll be able to recognize vendor terms that don't favor your organization so you can negotiate a better contract. You'll discover the impact slow receivables have on your bottom line and how obsolete or slow-moving inventory leads to higher inventory costs. Most importantly, you'll learn how to identify areas of opportunity for trimming expenses.
Don’t leave your organization suspect to insufficient funds or missed opportunities due to poor cash flow management. Effective cash flow modeling puts you in charge of your cash flow, allowing you to make essential purchases, cover operating costs and plan for future growth. From this program, you'll be ready to handle unexpected expenses, jump at new opportunities with confidence and always stay one step ahead of the competition.
What You'll Learn
- The importance of cash flow forecasting including risks and opportunities
- Problems that can get in the way of accurate forecasting — what to look for and key solutions
- How to gain cooperation and buy-in from managers and support staff
- Cash flow mechanics and key terms:
- Revenue — volume, price
- Variable cost forecast
- Fixed costs
- Operating Assets (AR/Inventory/Payables)
- Operating Cash Flow Forecast
- Investment (Capital Assets/Securities)
- Financing (Debt)
- Rolling Cash Flow Forecast Process/Monthly Review Cycle - how often should you look at cash flow?
