Cash Flow Calculator
Profitable on Paper Isn't the Same as Solvent in the Bank
Businesses fail from running out of cash far more often than from being unprofitable on paper — invoices go unpaid, inventory ties up capital, and a profitable quarter can still leave the bank account thinner than it started. This calculator rolls together the three activities that move cash — operating, investing, and financing — into a net cash flow figure and an ending balance.
The Formula
Net Cash Flow = Operating CF + Investing CF + Financing CF
Ending Cash Balance = Beginning Cash Balance + Net Cash Flow
Ending Cash Balance = Beginning Cash Balance + Net Cash Flow
The Three Components
| Category | Typical inflows | Typical outflows |
|---|---|---|
| Operating | Cash from sales, customer receipts | Payroll, rent, supplier payments |
| Investing | Sale of equipment or assets | Purchases of equipment, property, securities |
| Financing | Loans received, new equity raised | Loan repayments, dividends, share buybacks |
Where This Calculation Matters
- Weekly or monthly cash monitoring — catching a negative cash trend before it becomes a solvency problem.
- Loan and credit line applications — lenders want to see the cash flow statement, not just the income statement.
- Capital expenditure planning — checking whether a planned equipment purchase (investing outflow) leaves enough operating cash cushion.
- Distinguishing profit from cash — a business can show accounting profit while investing or financing activities drain the actual bank balance.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the Beginning Cash Balance ($) for the period.
- Enter Operating Cash Flow ($), Investing Cash Flow ($), and Financing Cash Flow ($) — use negative values for net outflows in any category.
- Select Calculate to see net cash flow, its status, and the resulting ending cash balance.
Related Calculations
Track how quickly cash reserves would be depleted at the current rate with the Burn Rate Calculator, or estimate how many months of operation remain with the Startup Runway Calculator.