Quick resource I use with new veteran founders: a one-page cash-flow planner with a 12-month runway calculator and a simple funding map (microloans, CDFIs, state grants). It turns your next 90 days into weekly sales targets and a realistic budget — drop a note if you want the template and I’ll post it here. Steady cash beats hype — let’s build it on purpose.
I bake a 20% ‘latency tax’ into the 12‑month calculator for receivables — our CDFI-backed customers often slip to net‑45 — and set the weekly sales targets off that. It kept payroll steady when I took a microloan, but small caveat: treat state grants as $0 until reimbursed, not as incoming cash on the plan.
@emorris72 +1; I bill 60% upfront to cover net‑45 and treat state grants as upside. Watch microloan origination fees.
I used a similar one-pager last year; the 90-day weekly targets kept me honest. Small tweak for the 12‑month calculator: pad in a 2–3 day ACH clearing lag for payouts — , that delay blew up my first payroll plan. If you use a CDFI microloan, ask for an interest‑only ramp in months 1–3; it smoothed the dip without upping the note, and “steady cash beats hype” proved true.
Quick tip: I add a hard “floor balance = 2 payrolls” line in the one-pager and only plan with cash above it, then set weekly targets to refill that cushion. If card processors are your main pipe, instant payouts can bridge a gap, but I treat them like the reserve tank — only when payroll’s at risk. Minor caveat: auto-highlighting ‘can slip’ expenses helps, but recheck them monthly so nothing quietly graduates to must-pay.