Cash flow management is the most important part of any business. That means it’s important to effectively track everything flowing in and out of your accounts. There are tried and tested ways to achieve this, read on to discover the top 5 best cash flow templates.
Of all the tools that businesses can choose from, Google Sheets is already a staple for cash flow management. It offers many advantages like cloud-based data storage and the ability to share data.
Of all the cash flow templates out there, which is best for your business? Let’s find out with our top 5 best cash flow templates in Google Sheets.
What is cash flow management?
Cash flow management is a process that allows you to track all of the money flowing in and out of your business.
A cash flow tracker will improve how you manage your business. It will also help you see trends and make informed decisions for the future of your organization.
Effective cash flow management can optimize your overall cash inflow, allowing your business to continue running smoothly and creating new opportunities for your business to grow.
It is also a crucial tool to keep tabs on outgoing cash and great for spotting unnecessary spending. This opens up another great opportunity to keep your profit margin healthy.
Why you should use a cash flow template to manage cash flow
A cash flow sheet template is a great option for businesses to get their cash flow monitoring up and running straight away. Using a template will ensure you are covering all your business needs to successfully track and manage your cash flow.
There are a variety of templates available for Google Sheets, each one has different features that meet the needs of specific business objectives. Let’s take a look at the templates available to take your cash flow management to the next level.
1. Sheetgo
The Sheetgo Cash flow template is a single Google Sheets file built for business cash flow management. It’s more than a money log sheet; it keeps money coming in and money going out on separate tabs, so you can see what you have received and what you have paid without untangling one long list.
Alongside a Read me tab that explains how the file fits together, you get:
- Inputs: the start date and the opening balance the sheet counts from.
- Receipts: log the money coming in, invoice by invoice, with the amount received, the date and a product category.
- Payments: the same layout on the outgoing side, with the supplier, the amount paid and an expense category.
- Cash Flow Analysis: your cash balance, receivables and payables month by month, worked out from those two logs.
- Monthly Cash Flow Chart: the same three lines charted over time.
- Receipts Analysis and Payments Analysis: a breakdown of each side on its own.
The formulas do the arithmetic for you, so the analysis tabs and the chart move as soon as you add a row. Sheetgo’s part here is publishing the template: you make a copy in your own Google Drive and the file is yours to shape, whether that means renaming the categories, adding columns or switching the currency to match how your business runs. There is nothing to set up and no account to create.
Cash flow template
Spreadsheet template to track payments, receipts and your cash balance.
Every receipt and payment you log feeds the Cash Flow Analysis tab, where your balance is worked out for you:
2. Tiller Money Feeds
The Tiller Money Feeds add-on allows you to automatically connect your transactions to your financing templates, including data from banks, credit cards, brokerages and mortgages.
The Tiller spreadsheet add-on is relatively advanced and is a more suitable option for people with experience in finances.
Unfortunately all its sophistication also makes it more expensive. Tiller Money Feeds offers a 30-day free trial, but after it expires you must pay $79 per year.
3. Template Gallery for Sheets
The Vertex42 Template Gallery for Sheets add-on has a variety of professionally designed documents and spreadsheets ready to be used.
Vertex42 offers a ready-made cash flow worksheet, breaking down your finances into Operating, Investing and Financing activities. This spreadsheet can be accompanied by other Vertex42 financing templates, such as their income statement and profit loss projection templates.
However, these templates offer relatively basic functions and require a lot of back-end work in order to organize your financial information.
4. Float
Float is a cash flow forecasting app to help businesses understand and plan their current financial situation.
This is a great option for start-up businesses who require something cheap to help get their finances in order. Float provides a 12 month overview that provides a simple cash-in, cash-out format that needs to be manually updated.
In order to add it to your own account, click on File > Make a copy and save it to your own drive.
This template is a basic starting point, so it’s not appropriate for larger businesses who require something more detailed and long-lasting.
5. Brixx
Brixx offers a free template for comprehensive cash flow forecasts. This template is a great in-between the more basic templates like Float and Shopify, and more complex templates like Tiller Money.
Brixx offers a simple, customizable template. It uses formulas to provide a visual representation of your incoming and outgoing cash. To add it to your own drive, simply click File > Make a copy.
Overall, Brixx is a great option for manually inputting your data with a more visual focus.
Best cash flow spreadsheet templates
Those are our top 5 cash flow templates in Google Sheets! It’s important to always keep your objective in mind when choosing the right tools for your business.
If you want a free, easy-to-use spreadsheet that keeps your receipts and payments apart, works out your balance from what you enter and plots it month by month, the Sheetgo cash flow template is a good place to start.
Read more about business cash flow and business accounting in the articles below.
Editor’s note: This is a revised version of a previous post that has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Frequently asked questions
Is the cash flow template free?
Yes. It is a Google Sheets file you copy to your own Drive and keep. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
How does the template work out my cash position?
You log money coming in on the Receipts tab and money going out on the Payments tab. The Cash Flow Analysis tab and the Monthly Cash Flow Chart then show your balance month by month, calculated from those entries and the opening balance you set.
Does it connect to my bank?
No. It is a spreadsheet you fill in yourself. Nothing is connected and nothing runs in the background.
