Free calculator
Cash flow gap calculator
A normal week of sales and costs, how long customers really take to pay, and any big bill on the horizon. See the lowest point in the next twelve weeks and exactly how big the gap is.
The next twelve weeks
Lowest closing balance
$0
- Lowest point arrives inweek 1
- First week in the rednone
- Peak gap to fund$0
- A normal week nets$0
A planning estimate from your figures, not an offer of finance.
Get options to cover this gap →Numbers say you need a hand?
A 60-second enquiry shows what is possible for your business. No credit check to enquire, and a real person reviews it.
What the calculator is doing
It plays your business forward one week at a time. Each week it collects the sales that have reached the end of their payment period, pays wages, suppliers and fixed costs, and drops the large bill into the week you chose. Invoices already owed to you arrive spread across the first few weeks. The result is a closing balance for every week, which is the line your bank account will actually follow.
The payment-time setting is what makes or breaks most forecasts. When customers pay on the spot, a busy week turns into cash immediately. When they take a month or two, you are funding every sale from your own account until it lands, and growing faster makes that worse rather than better.
How to read the four results
The lowest closing balance and the week it arrives tell you when pressure peaks. The first week in the red is your deadline to have something in place. The peak gap is the deepest point below zero and the most useful number to bring to a funding conversation, because a facility only has to bridge the gap rather than fund your whole operation. Finally, a normal week nets tells you whether you have a timing problem or a margin problem. Funding helps the first. It does not fix the second.
Closing the gap
- Speed up collections. Deposits, progress billing and shorter terms change the shape of the line dramatically. Our guide on getting customers to pay faster has practical steps.
- Move the big bill. Ask whether a supplier or the ATO will accept a different date or instalments before you borrow for it.
- Fund the timing, not the business. A line of credit suits gaps that recur, a short-term loan suits a single dated gap and invoice finance suits gaps caused by slow-paying business customers.
Getting honest inputs
Pull three months of business bank statements and average the real outgoings. Include the costs that hide between categories: fuel, merchant fees, subscriptions, insurance instalments and the accountant. If sales swing by season, run the calculator twice, once for a strong month and once for your quietest, and plan for the quiet one.
When you know the size of the gap, tell us about it in a 60-second enquiry. No credit check to enquire, and a real person will match the funding to the gap rather than to a round number.
Questions about this calculator
What is a cash flow gap?
It is the period when cash going out of the business is greater than cash coming in and your bank balance cannot absorb the difference. Profitable businesses hit gaps all the time, usually because customers pay later than suppliers and staff need to be paid.
Why does the calculator ask about invoices already owed to me?
Money already owed is what funds the first few weeks of any forecast. Leaving it out makes the picture look worse than it is, so include invoices you have sent that have not been paid yet.
Which payment time should I choose?
Choose how long customers actually take, not what your invoice says. If 14-day invoices typically arrive after 35 days, pick the longer option. Your accounting software's aged receivables report is the quickest way to check.
Is the peak shortfall the amount I should borrow?
It is the starting point. Most owners add a buffer for surprises, and some find a line of credit suits better because they only draw what they need. The calculator gives you the size of the hole; the right facility depends on how often it appears.
Does my data go anywhere?
No. The calculations happen in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.
Our promises
No credit check to enquire
Find out where you stand without a mark on your credit file. A check only happens later, once you choose to go ahead with an offer.
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Your details are not fired off to a list of lenders. One team reads your enquiry and works out the right fit for your business.
A real person, quickly
A human reviews every enquiry and gets back to you. Answer the form accurately and we can match you properly the first time.
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