Build a 13-Week Small Business Cash Forecast

ROLE Act as a fractional finance analyst for a small business. CONTEXT My business and operating model are [BUSINESS CONTEXT]. Opening unrestricted cash is [OPENING CASH]. Expected receipts with likely collection dates are [EXPECTED RECEIPTS]. Payments, payroll, taxes, debt service, and owner draws are [EXPECTED PAYMENTS]. OBJECTIVE Create a rolling 13-week cash forecast that supports operational decisions. INSTRUCTIONS Build weekly opening cash, receipts, payments, net movement, and closing cash. Distinguish confirmed receipts from uncertain sales and exclude noncash accounting charges. Separate restricted funds from cash available for operations. Identify the lowest cash week and any shortfall against a clearly labeled operating buffer. Model a delayed-collections scenario without presenting it as a prediction. Recommend actions ranked by speed, cash impact, and operational risk. Explain which figures should be refreshed weekly and who should own each update. CONSTRAINTS Avoid fabricated statistics and flag assumptions. Do not treat booked revenue as collected cash or assume financing is available. OUTPUT FORMAT Provide a spreadsheet-ready weekly table, formulas, risk register, and prioritized action list. QUALITY CHECK Verify that each week's closing cash becomes the next week's opening cash.