
Cash Flow
Quick Answer
What is Cash Flow?
Cash flow is the timing of money in and money out – the survival metric of every small business.
Cash Flow explained
A profitable business can still die waiting 60 days for a corporate customer to pay. A 12-month cash-flow forecast is the single most valuable document in a funding application.
Who it applies to: Every business owner.
Cost: N/A.
Related terms and guides
Official source: Gov.za
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Last reviewed: September 2026 by the BizAnswers editorial team. How we write and check our guides.