Update actuals and hand off the plan
See this course’s project requirements
A rolling business cash plan with receipt timing, invoice follow-up, a base forecast, stress test, action comparison and actuals update.
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.
Want more background?
The idea in everyday life
Patch Week 1 forecast: opening 1000, receipts 600, payments 900, closing 700. Actual Week 1: receipts 550, payments 920. Weeks 2–4 base receipts and payments stay 1200/1000, 500/1200, 1500/700. Week 5 adds receipts 1000 and payments 800.
A rolling forecast learns from actual results and extends the planning window. Keep assumptions and commitments separate.
Update actuals and hand off the plan — worked practice
A rolling forecast learns from actual results and extends the planning window. Keep assumptions and commitments separate.
Patch Week 1 forecast: opening 1000, receipts 600, payments 900, closing 700. Actual Week 1: receipts 550, payments 920. Weeks 2–4 base receipts and payments stay 1200/1000, 500/1200, 1500/700. Week 5 adds receipts 1000 and payments 800.
1. Close actual Week 1
Calculate actual closing cash and variance from $700.
You should see: Actual closing $630; $70 below forecast.
Use actual cash as the new starting balance.
2. Roll forward
Recalculate Weeks 2–5 from $630.
You should see: Closing balances: $830, $130, $930, $1130.
Carry the variance through the remaining weeks.
3. Explain variance
Split the $70 difference into receipts and payments.
You should see: Receipts $50 lower and payments $20 higher.
A cause note is more useful than a single variance.
4. Assemble
Attach receipt schedule, invoice log, base/stress/action cases and updated forecast.
You should see: The handoff names Week 3 as a $270 gap to the $400 target.
A forecast must lead to dated follow-up work.
What to finish
A complete four-week rolling cash handoff with actuals and assumptions.
Watch for this
Leaving the old opening balance after actual cash differs.
How can I tell I understand it?
Explain your calculation or classification and reproduce the changed case without copying the worked result.
Quick knowledge check
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Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.
Go to the knowledge checkOptional course overview video · same video as Lesson 1
The Cash Budget
From Edspira. Watch here or open it on YouTube .
Optional course overview. Follow the written steps below at your own pace.Tools, templates, and lesson sources
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Sources and further reading
Explore the references behind this lesson.
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.
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.
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.
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