Growth consumes cash. Plan for it.
Profitable companies run out of cash regularly — growth ties up capital in receivables and inventory faster than earnings replace it. We build the forecasting and working-capital discipline that improves cash visibility and identifies opportunities to release capital already sitting in the business.
Profitable on paper, tight on cash
When revenue grows 30 percent, receivables and inventory typically grow with it — and that capital comes out of the bank before the profit arrives. Without a cash forecast, the first signal is usually a credit line draw nobody planned.
- Cash position is checked in the bank account rather than forecast
- Receivables age quietly because nobody owns collections
- Inventory grows faster than sales and nobody notices the trend
- Payment runs are timed by habit instead of by liquidity need
Who this is for
- Companies growing quickly and feeling the cash strain
- Businesses with significant inventory or long collection cycles
- Organizations operating near a credit line limit or covenant threshold
- Companies with seasonal or project-based cash patterns
- Businesses preparing for an acquisition or a financing event
The work, specifically.
Engagements are scoped to what your business needs. These are the components we most often build.
- 01
13-week cash forecast
A rolling weekly forecast built from receivables, payables, payroll, debt service, tax, and capital commitments — updated and reviewed on a fixed cadence.
- 02
Receivables management
Credit policy, invoicing speed, collection ownership, aging discipline, and the terms conversation most companies avoid having.
- 03
Inventory optimization
Turns analysis, reorder logic, safety stock, and identification of the slow-moving items absorbing capital.
- 04
Payables strategy
Payment timing, terms negotiation, discount evaluation, and a disbursement routine aligned to the cash forecast.
- 05
Cash conversion analysis
Measuring the full cycle from cash out to cash in, and targeting the specific stage where capital is trapped.
- 06
Liquidity and banking
Credit facility structure, covenant monitoring, and preparing the reporting lenders require.
What changes when this works.
- Cash converted from the balance sheet, not the credit line
- A rolling 13-week view leadership trusts
- Working-capital priorities tied to the growth plan
Related systems
Platforms and tools this work commonly touches. We are platform-neutral — the right system depends on your requirements.
- Odoo
- NetSuite
- Sage Intacct
- Banking platforms
- AR automation tools
- Excel
The work within our five-stage method.
These workstreams fit within Understand, Stabilize, Build, Operate, and Improve. Scope determines the starting point.
- 01
Measure
Establish the current cash conversion cycle and quantify capital tied up at each stage.
- 02
Forecast
Build the 13-week model and run it weekly until the variance narrows and the team trusts it.
- 03
Release
Work the highest-return levers — usually collections discipline and slow-moving inventory — to free capital already in the business.
- 04
Sustain
Assign ownership, set targets, and monitor the working-capital metrics as part of the regular management routine.
Questions we get asked.
Something not covered here? Ask us directly.
A quarter is long enough to see a genuine problem forming while still short enough to forecast at weekly precision from real receivables and payables data. Beyond about 13 weeks, weekly detail becomes assumption rather than information — that horizon belongs to the monthly forecast.
It varies widely by industry and by how long the company has gone without focus on it. The concentration is almost always in two places: receivables past terms, and inventory that has not moved in six months. Measuring the cash conversion cycle first tells you where to look — we do not estimate a recovery figure before that analysis.
Usually not. Most 13-week forecasts start in a well-built model sourced from ERP data. Automation tools help once the discipline is established, but buying a tool before the process exists tends to produce an automated version of the same problem.
Yes. We prepare the forecasts, covenant analysis, and supporting reporting lenders expect, and participate in those discussions alongside management. We do not arrange financing or act as a broker.
Capabilities that connect to this work.
Fractional CFO & Controller
Financial leadership alongside your accounting team
Reporting & Forecasting
Close discipline, management reporting, and a forward view
Related reading
Start with the business problem.
Most engagements begin with an assessment. If your scope is already clear, we can discuss a project or ongoing leadership directly.