Who this checklist is for
This cash flow checklist is for owners, partners and accounts heads who sign off on payments and worry about salaries at month-end. It works the same for a shop, a clinic, a factory, an agency or a distributor. Businesses rarely run out of cash because sales are bad. More often sales are good, but the money is stuck in unpaid invoices, unsold stock and tax that was never set aside.
Use it this week, and come back to it before month-end, before you take a large order, and before you hire. The first items take minutes. The later ones take a few hours to set up, and they are the ones that let you sleep in a busy month.
The 15 things, and why each one matters
Daily bank balance
Read the business bank balance before 10 AM every day. Two minutes a day means a short week never surprises you on payday.
Invoice same day
Send the invoice the day the job ends or the goods leave. Every day you wait to invoice is a day added to when you get paid.
Pay-now link
Add a payment link from your gateway, such as Razorpay or Stripe, to every invoice. Clients who can pay in one tap pay sooner.
Tool cleanup
Check every software subscription on the card and cancel any tool nobody opened last month. Small monthly charges add up quietly.
Overdue call list
Every Monday, call each client whose invoice is seven or more days late. A call early gets paid before the client spends the money elsewhere.
Advance on big orders
Ask for 30 to 50 percent upfront on large or custom orders. You should not fund a client's order from your own pocket.
Tax money apart
Move the GST or sales tax you collect into a separate account as soon as you are paid. It was never your money, and it is due on a fixed date.
Credit limit per client
Set a credit limit for each client in Tally, QuickBooks or Zoho, and stop new orders when it is reached until they pay. One slow payer should not hold your whole month.
Old stock sale
List stock unsold for 90 days and clear it, even at cost. Stock on the shelf is cash you cannot spend.
Longer supplier terms
Ask suppliers for payment terms longer than the terms you give customers. If customers pay in 30 days and you pay in 45, cash stays with you.
Friday cash review
Spend 15 minutes each Friday on three numbers: cash in the bank, money due in, bills due out. Small problems show up weeks early.
13-week cash plan
Keep a simple sheet of expected cash in and out, week by week, for the next 13 weeks. It shows the tight week before you are in it.
Hire from profit
Pay for new hires and new equipment from profit already in the bank, not from the overdraft. Growth paid with borrowed money is the fastest way to run short.
3-month buffer
Build a reserve that covers three months of fixed costs such as rent and salaries. It turns a bad month into an inconvenience instead of a crisis.
Credit line early
Arrange an overdraft or credit line with your bank while the business is doing well. Banks lend most easily when you do not need it.
Questions about cash flow
Why do profitable businesses run out of cash?
What should a business owner check every week for cash flow?
Can cash flow tracking be automated?
How many days of salaries are sitting in unpaid invoices?
Book a digital audit. Tell us which accounting software and payment tools you use, and we will map where cash gets stuck and what can be tracked and chased automatically.
Part of our Business Process Automation hub. Start with our business automation services.