Cash Flow Calculator
See how much cash is actually moving through your business in a period, and what your closing balance will be once every payment in and out is accounted for.
Figures are shown in the currency you select. Currency is a display setting only — no exchange-rate conversion is applied.
What your result means
Cash flow tells you something profit alone cannot: whether you actually have money in hand to pay rent, restock inventory, or cover salaries this week. A business can be profitable on paper — invoices sent, sales recorded — and still run out of cash if customers pay late or costs land before revenue does. This calculator gives you your net cash flow (the difference between what came in and what went out) and your closing balance (what you're left with once the period ends), so you can see the real picture, not just the accounting one.
Formula
Closing Balance = Opening Balance + Net Cash Flow
Worked example
A small retail shop starts the month with $2,000 in the bank. Over the month it collects $8,500 from sales and mobile money payments, and pays out $7,200 in rent, stock, salaries and utilities.
Closing Balance = $2,000 + $1,300 = $3,300
The shop ends the month with $1,300 more cash than it started with, and a closing balance of $3,300 to carry into next month. If outflows had exceeded inflows, the closing balance would shrink even if the shop was still technically profitable on its books.
Common mistakes
- Confusing cash flow with profit — a sale on credit counts as revenue immediately, but it isn't cash until the customer actually pays.
- Leaving out irregular outflows like annual licence renewals, equipment repairs, or loan repayments that don't happen every month.
- Forgetting to include owner drawings or informal cash taken out of the till as an outflow.
- Tracking cash flow only once a year instead of monthly, which hides short-term shortfalls until they become emergencies.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between cash flow and profit?
Profit is revenue minus expenses on paper, including sales you've invoiced but not yet been paid for. Cash flow only counts money that has actually moved — into or out of your account or till. A business can show a profit and still have negative cash flow if customers are slow to pay.
What counts as a cash inflow?
Any money actually received in the period: cash sales, mobile money payments, bank transfers from customers, loans received, or capital injected by the owner. Invoiced sales that haven't been paid yet don't count until the cash arrives.
How often should I calculate cash flow?
Monthly at minimum. Businesses with tight margins or seasonal swings — such as agri-traders or retailers around holidays — often benefit from checking weekly so a shortfall doesn't go unnoticed until it's too late to act on.