A worked 13-week cash flow forecast for a Griffin, GA quick-service restaurant, ways to improve cash flow before borrowing, a forecast method for grocery stores, and the six articles on this site.
A 13-week cash flow forecast for Griffin, GA quick-service restaurants
A 13-week forecast lists the cash expected in and out, week by week, for one quarter. For a quick-service restaurant that means card and cash sales in, and food orders, payroll, rent and other bills out.
| Week | Cash in | Cash out | Ending cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | $15,200 | $13,600 | $10,600 |
| Week 2 | $14,600 | $19,200 | $6,000 |
| Week 3 | $14,100 | $9,700 | $10,400 |
| Week 4 | $15,400 | $19,200 | $6,600 |
| Week 5 | $14,800 | $13,600 | $7,800 |
| Week 6 | $14,300 | $19,200 | $2,900 |
| Week 7 | $15,000 | $9,700 | $8,200 |
| Week 8 | $15,500 | $19,200 | $4,500 |
| Week 9 | $14,200 | $13,600 | $5,100 |
| Week 10 | $14,900 | $19,200 | $800 |
| Week 11 | $15,600 | $9,700 | $6,700 |
| Week 12 | $14,700 | $19,200 | $2,200 |
| Week 13 | $15,300 | $7,400 | $10,100 |
In this invented forecast the low point is week 10, at $800, and the quarter ends at $10,100 (our arithmetic). A low point that thin is the warning sign: one slow week or a broken walk-in cooler would push the balance below zero.
How Griffin, GA quick-service restaurants can improve cash flow before borrowing
- Order food against the forecast, not habit, and trim the items that spoil before they sell.
- Ask the card processor when deposits settle, and whether earlier settlement costs extra.
- Ask suppliers for payment terms, even 7 or 14 days, so food is paid for after it sells.
- Check menu prices against current food and paper costs.
- Put off upgrades that can wait, and keep repair money for equipment that cannot.
Whatever gap remains after those steps is the true amount to ask for, and a smaller, well-explained request is clearer for a partner to read.
How Spalding County, GA grocery stores prepare a cash flow forecast
- Start with today's bank balance.
- Enter card deposits by the day they land, not the day of the sale.
- Enter each distributor and direct-delivery vendor on its payment day.
- Add payroll on each payday, rent on its due date, and every loan or lease payment.
- Update the forecast every week with actual numbers and roll it forward one more week.
An auto repair shop builds the same sheet around parts invoices and customer payments; the method does not change.
Articles for Griffin, GA quick-service restaurants and gas stations
The six articles on this site, by title and topic:
- Buying a Store or Shop in Griffin, GA: how the purchase of an existing business can be financed.
- What a Term Loan Covers in Griffin, GA: which costs a term loan can pay for, and which belong elsewhere.
- Three Funding Routes for a Griffin, GA Restaurant: three ways a restaurant can fund equipment, payroll or movable dining furniture.
- Practice Loan Terms in Griffin, GA: the terms a medical or other practice reads in a loan offer.
- Is a Short Repayment Term Right for a Griffin, GA Shop?: what a shorter term does to the payment and the total cost.
- Equipment, Receivables or Property: Griffin, GA Collateral: what a business can pledge, and what each pledge means.
A quick-service restaurant owner can start with the restaurant article, and a gas station owner weighing a purchase with the article on buying a store or shop.
By Valestead Lending Group · Updated