Cash Flow-Focused Bookkeeping

Most businesses focus on profit and loss, but cash flow is what keeps you alive. You can be profitable on paper but run out of cash because customers pay late, expenses come due before income arrives, or you're growing faster than cash can keep up. Cash flow focused bookkeeping prioritizes tracking cash inflows and outflows to help businesses understand their cash position and make informed financial decisions.

The problem is most bookkeeping focuses on profit and loss (which is important), but doesn't prioritize cash flow visibility. You might know you made a profit last month, but you don't know if you'll have enough cash next month to pay bills, payroll, or take on new work. That's risky—cash flow problems can shut down profitable businesses.

We handle cash flow focused bookkeeping for businesses wanting better cash flow visibility: cash flow tracking setup, cash flow forecasting, working capital management, and cash position reporting. Whether you're a business in Medway wanting to track cash flow better, a company in Maidstone needing cash flow forecasting, or a business in Canterbury wanting working capital management, we'll set up bookkeeping that prioritizes cash flow. No surprises, no cash flow crises—just clear cash visibility that helps you make better decisions.

What this helps you do (fast)

• See your cash position in real time — Know exactly how much cash you have right now, what's coming in, and what's going out. Real-time cash visibility helps you make informed decisions.
• Identify cash flow problems early — Cash flow tracking helps you spot problems before they become critical. See cash shortages coming weeks or months in advance, so you can fix them before they affect operations.
• Plan for expenses and income — Cash flow forecasting shows you when money will come in and go out, helping you plan for expenses, payroll, tax payments, and other obligations. No surprises.
• Manage working capital better — Understand your cash cycle—how long it takes from spending money to getting paid. Better working capital management improves cash flow.
• Make better business decisions — Cash flow visibility helps you decide when to take on new work, when to invest in growth, when to hold back, and when to collect payments. Make decisions based on cash reality, not just profit.
• Avoid cash flow crises — Early warning signs of cash flow problems mean you can fix them before they become critical. Avoid running out of cash unexpectedly.

How it works

Step-by-step process for cash flow focused bookkeeping:

1. Discovery call — We chat about your business: what your cash flow challenges are (late payments, seasonal fluctuations, growth-related cash needs), what your current cash visibility looks like, whether you've had cash flow problems before, what your cash cycle is (time from spending to getting paid), and what you want to achieve with cash flow focused bookkeeping.
2. Cash flow tracking setup — We set up cash flow tracking:
   • Cash flow statement — Track cash inflows (sales, customer payments, loans, investments) and cash outflows (expenses, supplier payments, salaries, tax payments)
   • Bank account tracking — Monitor all bank accounts in real-time, track cash balances, see cash movements as they happen
   • Cash position dashboard — Real-time dashboard showing current cash balance, expected cash inflows (invoices due, sales expected), expected cash outflows (bills due, payroll, tax payments)
   • Cash flow categories — Categorize cash flows (operating cash flow, investing cash flow, financing cash flow) to understand where cash comes from and goes to
   Cash flow tracking gives you real-time visibility into your cash position.
3. Cash flow forecasting — We set up cash flow forecasting:
   • Income forecasting — Forecast when customer payments will arrive based on payment terms, historical patterns, and invoice due dates
   • Expense forecasting — Forecast when expenses will be paid (bills, payroll, tax payments, loan repayments)
   • Cash flow projection — Project cash balance forward (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months) to see future cash position
   • Scenario planning — Model different scenarios (best case, worst case, most likely) to understand cash flow under different conditions
   Cash flow forecasting helps you see cash problems coming and plan accordingly.
4. Working capital management — We help manage working capital:
   • Accounts receivable tracking — Track outstanding invoices, payment due dates, overdue invoices, average collection period
   • Accounts payable tracking — Track bills due, payment terms, early payment discounts, payment deadlines
   • Inventory tracking — Track inventory levels and cash tied up in inventory (if applicable)
   • Cash cycle analysis — Analyze your cash cycle (days sales outstanding, days payable outstanding, inventory days) to identify opportunities to improve cash flow
   Better working capital management improves cash flow.
5. Cash position reporting — We set up cash position reporting:
   • Daily cash position — Daily summary of cash balance, expected inflows/outflows for the day
   • Weekly cash report — Weekly summary of cash position, cash flow for the week, expected cash flow for upcoming weeks
   • Monthly cash flow statement — Monthly cash flow statement showing cash inflows, outflows, and net change in cash
   • Cash flow dashboard — Real-time dashboard showing current cash position, upcoming cash flows, cash flow trends, and alerts for potential cash problems
   Regular cash position reporting keeps you informed about your cash flow.
6. Cash flow alerts and monitoring — We set up cash flow alerts:
   • Low cash alerts — Alerts when cash balance falls below threshold
   • Payment due alerts — Alerts for upcoming payments (bills, payroll, tax payments)
   • Invoice overdue alerts — Alerts for overdue invoices that need follow-up
   • Cash flow trend alerts — Alerts when cash flow trends indicate potential problems
   Cash flow alerts help you stay on top of your cash position.

We work with whatever accounting software you're using—Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, or other systems. The key is setting up bookkeeping that prioritizes cash flow visibility and forecasting, so you can see your cash position and make informed decisions.

Costs & timelines

Pricing factors:

• Business complexity — More complex businesses (multiple revenue streams, multiple bank accounts, complex cash flows) cost more than simple businesses
• Cash flow forecasting complexity — Simple cash flow forecasting costs less than complex scenario planning and detailed forecasting
• Reporting frequency — More frequent cash flow reporting (daily vs monthly) costs more
• Working capital complexity — Businesses with inventory, complex receivables/payables need more detailed working capital tracking

Commonly reported ranges by local providers:

• Cash flow focused bookkeeping setup: £300–£600 depending on business complexity and forecasting needs
• Monthly cash flow focused bookkeeping: £150–£350/month depending on transaction volume, reporting frequency, and forecasting complexity
• Cash flow forecasting (one-off): £200–£400 per forecast depending on complexity and time horizon (1 month vs 12 months)

Why cash flow focused bookkeeping costs what it does:

• Cash flow tracking requires setting up cash flow statements and cash position dashboards
• Cash flow forecasting requires income/expense forecasting and scenario planning
• Working capital management requires tracking receivables, payables, and cash cycle analysis
• Regular cash position reporting requires ongoing monitoring and reporting

Timeline: Setup usually takes 3-5 working days depending on business complexity. Once set up, cash flow tracking updates automatically from your bookkeeping. Cash flow forecasting and reporting are ongoing—forecasts updated regularly (weekly, monthly), reports generated on schedule.

Ongoing support: If you want ongoing monthly cash flow focused bookkeeping, that's separate. Typical monthly bookkeeping with cash flow focus is £150–£350/month depending on transaction volume and reporting frequency. Cash flow forecasting updates might be included in monthly bookkeeping or charged separately.

No hidden fees. Setup price includes cash flow tracking setup, initial cash flow forecasting setup, working capital management setup, and cash position reporting setup. Monthly bookkeeping and ongoing forecasting updates are separate if you want ongoing support.

Kent (UK) focus

We work with businesses across Kent: businesses in Medway wanting better cash flow visibility, companies in Maidstone needing cash flow forecasting, and businesses in Canterbury wanting working capital management.

Kent businesses face the same cash flow challenges as everyone else—late payments, seasonal fluctuations, growth-related cash needs, unexpected expenses. The difference is when you have cash flow focused bookkeeping, you can see cash problems coming and fix them before they affect operations. That's what helps Kent businesses manage cash flow better and avoid cash flow crises.

Common Kent business scenarios:

• Seasonal businesses — Tourism, retail, agriculture businesses needing cash flow planning for seasonal fluctuations
• Growing businesses — Businesses growing quickly needing cash flow forecasting to manage growth-related cash needs
• Businesses with late payments — Businesses dealing with late customer payments needing better cash flow tracking and forecasting
• Cash-strapped businesses — Businesses struggling with cash flow needing better visibility and management

Kent business market context:

• Many Kent businesses face cash flow challenges (seasonal fluctuations, late payments, growth-related cash needs)
• Cash flow focused bookkeeping helps Kent businesses manage cash flow better and avoid cash flow crises
• Better cash flow visibility helps Kent businesses make informed decisions about growth and investment

Remote-first, Kent-focused. We don't need to meet in person (though we can if you prefer), and we understand what Kent businesses are dealing with. Cash flow visibility, cash flow forecasting, working capital management—we'll set up bookkeeping that prioritizes cash flow so you can see your cash position and make better decisions.

FAQs