It's 3 AM. You're lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and the same question is running through your mind:

"Can I actually make payroll next week?"

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. In our 20+ years working with business owners, we've seen this exact scenario play out hundreds of times.

The frustrating part? Most of these businesses are profitable. They have good clients, solid revenue, and decent margins. But they're constantly stressed about cash flow.

Why? Because they're flying blind.

The problem with looking backwards

Most business owners rely on their accountant's reports to understand their financial position. Monthly profit & loss statements, balance sheets, bank reconciliations.

All backward-looking.

Your accountant can tell you exactly what happened last month. But they can't tell you if you'll have enough cash to pay rent when wages are due next week.

That's not their job. It's yours.

The cost of cash flow blindness

When you don't know what your cash flow looks like, you make decisions based on fear instead of facts:

• You turn down profitable opportunities because you're not sure if you can fund them

• You delay hiring that key team member who could grow your business

• You take smaller drawings than you deserve because you're scared of cash shortages

• You lose sleep worrying about payments you might not be able to make

But the biggest cost? You never get ahead of problems.

By the time you realise you have a cash flow issue, it's often too late to fix it. You're stuck with expensive short-term solutions: overdrafts, emergency loans, or delayed supplier payments that damage relationships.

The solution: plan ahead

The most successful business owners we work with all have one thing in common: they know what their cash flow looks like for the next 13 weeks.

Why 13 weeks? It's the sweet spot:

• Long enough to see major cash flow events coming (quarterly BAS, annual insurance, holiday shutdowns)

• Short enough to be accurate with your forecasting

• Manageable enough that you'll actually maintain it

The 13-week rolling cash flow forecast

Here's how it works:

Every week, you spend 20 minutes updating a simple spreadsheet that shows:

• Cash coming in - invoices due, expected payments, new sales

• Cash going out - wages, rent, suppliers, taxes, loan payments

• Running balance - exactly how much cash you'll have each week

The magic happens in the details:

• You know if rent and wages fall on the same week (and plan accordingly)

• You see your BAS payment coming 8 weeks out (not 8 days)

• You spot slow periods early enough to boost sales or manage expenses

• You make drawing decisions based on data, not guesswork

Final thoughts

Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. You can have the best product, the strongest team, and the most loyal customers in the world. But if you run out of cash, none of it matters.

The good news? You don't need complicated software or expensive consultants. You need a simple system, 20 minutes a week, and the commitment to look forward instead of backward.

Your 3 AM self will thank you.

When facing cash flow uncertainty, ask yourself this difficult question: Would you rather spend money on expensive short-term solutions like overdrafts and emergency loans, or invest 20 minutes a week in a system that prevents these problems?

As accountants who've seen the financial aftermath of cash flow crises, we encourage business owners to:

• Focus on forward-looking management rather than reactive solutions

• Understand the real timing of cash movements before making major decisions

• Choose systems that give you what you need to know, not overwhelming detail

• Consider what you truly want: to react to problems as they hit, or to see them coming and plan accordingly

Protecting your business through proper cash flow management isn't just about avoiding disasters - it's about making strategic decisions that create sustainable growth and genuine peace of mind.

The most successful businesses we see aren't the ones that never face cash challenges - they're the ones that see those challenges coming and handle them.

Want to learn how to implement the 13-week rolling cash flow forecast? Get the template.

Disclaimer: This is general advice. You will need to take specialist advice that takes account of your own business circumstances.