Budgeting & Cash Flow, Step by Step for 2027

Build a budget you can defend, see cash pinch points weeks before they arrive and keep spending under control, using numbers you already have and no accounting qualification.

Who it's for

For managers, budget holders, founders and anyone who has been handed a budget and told to make it work. You do not need an accounting qualification. If cash is your most pressing worry, start with Chapter 4; if you are preparing next year’s budget, start with Chapter 1.

What you'll learn

• Compare incremental, zero-based (associated with Peter Pyhrr), activity-based and rolling-forecast budgeting, and choose the right mix line by line.
• Build the budget in the right order, from sales to capital spend, with an assumptions log, sense checks and monthly phasing.
• Forecast income from contracted work, run-rate, seasonality and a weighted pipeline, and present low, base and high scenarios.
• Build a 13-week cash flow forecast using the direct method and keep it accurate with a short weekly update.
• Turn the budget into a 12-month cash flow plan that includes tax payments, capital spend and a minimum cash buffer.
• Control spending day to day with named budget holders, approval limits, a one-page spending policy and a commitments log.
• Run a short monthly review and reforecast, and get through a cash squeeze by acting early and talking openly to HMRC, your bank and suppliers.

What's inside

• 55 pages, 8 chapters
• Every chapter follows the same pattern: key concepts, a step-by-step method, an illustrative example from a fictional UK organisation, a ready-to-use tool, common mistakes, key steps and a “Try it” exercise
• Tools include a budget approach selector, budget template with assumptions log and monthly phasing, income forecast with scenarios, 13-week cash flow forecast, 12-month cash flow plan, spend approval matrix and commitments log, monthly budget review pack and cash rescue action plan
• A 30-60-90 day action plan with checklists and a weekly 30-minute cash routine, plus a glossary
• PDF in A4 format — read on screen or print
• Instant download after purchase

Contents

1. Choosing Your Budgeting Approach
2. Building the Budget Line by Line
3. Forecasting Income Realistically
4. Forecasting Cash Week by Week
5. Planning Cash for the Year Ahead
6. Controlling Spend Day to Day
7. Reviewing the Budget Monthly and Reforecasting
8. Getting Through a Cash Squeeze

Part of The Business Library

This title is one of the 55 ebooks in The Business Library, available together for £109 (worth £1,437 if bought separately: the total of the individual prices of the included titles in our store). It is also included in The Ultimate Business Bundle, which adds 8 checklists and toolkits and 10 workbooks — all 73 products for £147.