Finance

Finance becomes useful when a number changes a decision. A balance, ratio, or forecast should tell you what to collect, delay, cut, fund, verify, or investigate next. This hub brings together my finance explainers, calculators, and downloadable business templates around those decisions.

Start with source records and a defined period. Separate cash from profit, actuals from forecasts, and business obligations from personal assumptions. When a guide discusses investing, credit, tax, or lending, treat it as education and verify the decision with the relevant institution or qualified adviser.

Start with the operating numbers

Forecast cash: use the 12-month and 13-week cash flow forecast workbook to model opening cash, collections, operating payments, financing, and the lowest projected balance.
Measure liquidity: the working capital calculator explains current assets, current liabilities, and why a positive number can still hide slow inventory or overdue receivables.
Find cash trapped in operations: use the cash conversion cycle calculator to connect inventory days, receivable days, and payable days.
Prioritize collections: the accounts receivable aging template groups invoices by age so collection work follows exposure instead of memory.
Control spending: the small-business expense tracker gives each transaction a date, category, payment method, tax treatment, and evidence field.
Audit business credit: follow the business credit score and report guide to compare bureau records, dispute errors, and document financing impact.

Use a repeatable analysis routine

Freeze the reporting period and reconcile the source accounts.
Calculate the measure with the stated formula and units.
Compare it with the prior period, forecast, and a relevant operating target.
Trace the movement to invoices, inventory, contracts, expenses, or financing events.
Assign one action, owner, due date, and follow-up measure.

Do not use a template as proof that the underlying records are complete. The value comes from reconciliation, assumptions you can inspect, and a decision log that explains what changed. The latest guides below add the formulas, examples, limitations, and downloadable tools where they are useful.