Sample lesson: sales are not the same as available cash. This fictional business starts with $1,000. Follow its collections and payments over four weeks.| Week | Starting cash | Cash collected | Payments | Ending cash |
|---|
| 01 | $1,000 | $800 | $1,200 | $600 |
| 02 | $600 | $1,000 | $900 | $700 |
| 03 | $700 | $600 | $1,100 | $200 |
| 04 | $200 | $1,200 | $950 | $450 |
$1,000 + $3,600 collected − $4,150 paid = $450 remaining.
Your task: use the same five columns with your own numbers. Identify the week with the lowest cash balance and one expense you need to plan for.
Download the sample cash worksheet (CSV)How many sales cover your costs?
Example: a $100 sale with $40 in direct costs leaves $60 to cover fixed costs. With $1,200 in monthly fixed costs, you need 20 sales to break even: $1,200 ÷ $60 = 20. This example excludes taxes.