Cash Runway

financial

financeoperationscash management

In Brief

Cash runway refers to the number of weeks a business can operate at its current burn rate with current cash reserves. This is a critical metric for service businesses, as the gap between being financially stable and unable to make payroll can close quickly.

Cash Runway answers how many weeks a business can operate at its current burn rate with current cash reserves. It is a critical metric for service businesses, as the gap between 'we're fine' and 'we can't make payroll' can close faster than most owners realize.

Defined byChristy Rexroth

Founder & Strategic Architect

Credentials

BS Business Management, Indiana University Kelley School of Business•Business Excellence Program (Accelerate), Allergan•Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Google Digital Academy

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Key Terms

financial

13-Week Cash Flow Forecast

The 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast is a tool that projects a business's expected weekly cash position over the next 3 months. It accounts for when the business expects to collect receivables and when it must pay obligations, allowing the business to identify and address potential cash flow gaps before they occur.

operational

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leadership

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The cultural resistance to using 'good enough' data for decision-making, even when waiting for perfection is more costly.

financial

burn rate

Burn rate refers to how quickly a company spends its available cash reserves to cover operating expenses. It's typically measured monthly and helps business owners understand how long they can continue operations before running out of money or needing additional funding.

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