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Course 124 · Money course 15

Forecast Business Cash and Follow Up Invoices

Find cash gaps before bills are due and practice clear, documented invoice follow-up.

Before you start

Read a simple invoice and use basic arithmetic; a spreadsheet is optional.

See everything you’ll need

Practice materials and a worked example · Free download. Download the starter pack

What you’ll leave with

A rolling business cash plan with receipt timing, invoice follow-up, a base forecast, stress test, action comparison and actuals update.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload practice filesStart with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview

Watch an introduction.

This overview from Edspira introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.

Watch directly on YouTube
EdspiraThe Cash BudgetYouTube
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

For learners ages 14+ and adults exploring practical money and business skills.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Read a simple invoice and use basic arithmetic; a spreadsheet is optional.
  • Use paper and a calculator, or a free spreadsheet/text editor. The written lessons contain all required records. Optional video and software setup are extra time.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

A rolling business cash plan with receipt timing, invoice follow-up, a base forecast, stress test, action comparison and actuals update.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • A four-week cash-receipts schedule.
  • A receivables status and follow-up log. A checked rolling forecast with its lowest cash point.
  • A late-payment scenario with a quantified cash gap.
  • A comparison of two cash responses and their conditions.
  • A complete four-week rolling cash handoff with actuals and assumptions.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Calculations reconcile to the supplied records, with units and dates labeled.
  • Assumptions and missing information are visible, including the changed scenario.
  • The recommendation follows the evidence and explains an important limitation.
  • The six lesson outputs form a usable handoff that another learner can check.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Date the cash

A sale is not always an immediate receipt.

02

Show the low point

A month-end surplus can hide a weekly shortfall.

03

Document changes

Forecasts improve when actuals and assumptions stay visible.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Receivable
Money a customer owes.
Payable
Money the business owes.
Cash forecast
Estimate of dated cash receipts and payments.
Variance
Difference between an actual amount and its forecast.
Rolling forecast
A forecast extended as completed periods are replaced.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Place money in the right week

    A four-week cash-receipts schedule.

  2. 2
    30 min

    Prioritize an invoice follow-up

    A receivables status and follow-up log.

  3. 3
    30 min

    Build the cash forecast

    A checked rolling forecast with its lowest cash point.

  4. 4
    30 min

    Stress-test late payment

    A late-payment scenario with a quantified cash gap.

  5. 5
    30 min

    Compare cash actions and their costs

    A comparison of two cash responses and their conditions.

  6. 6
    30 min

    Update actuals and hand off the plan

    A complete four-week rolling cash handoff with actuals and assumptions.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
ZIP · practice files

Forecast Business Cash and Follow Up Invoices practice files

Start with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.

Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

Managing Cash Flow: Participant Guide
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected FDIC/SBA PDF hosted by Indiana, especially pages 6, 8–12 and glossary. Used cash timing concepts only; historical sample rates are not used.

Access: Public 20-page PDF; dated 2016, used for stable concepts rather than current rules.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected forecasting, assumptions and projected statements.

Access: Free public article; linked paid course is not required.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Manage your business: finances
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected finance section on receivables, payables and available cash.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Cash Budget video index
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Inspected exact Cash Budget link and verified oEmbed metadata.

Access: Public page inspected without a sign-in; linked services may have separate requirements.

Reuse: Link to the original. Free reading does not imply permission to reproduce the page; lessons and fixtures here are original.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one