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CASH FLOW JOURNEY MAP
Where to Start
Diagnostic Tool
Where does your money actually go?
Every business wants a straight line from customer to bank account. Most have detours they can't see. Map your cash flow path, every stage, every delay, every leak, and find out what a structurally clean version looks like.
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01
When do you invoice or collect payment?
Upfront or deposit before work begins
At project milestones during the work
On completion of the job or service
Net 30: payment due 30 days after invoice
Net 60 or longer
02
Who sets the payment terms on most of your work?
I set them, and customers accept them
I set them, but larger customers negotiate their own
Mostly the customer's terms, with some room to ask
The customer's terms, take it or leave it
03
When a job finishes, what has to happen before the invoice goes out?
It goes out on its own once the work is marked done
Someone raises and sends it the same day
Someone has to sit down and build it, usually within a few days
It waits for a weekly or month end billing run
04
How do customers pay you?
Credit or debit card (1-2 day settlement)
ACH or bank transfer (3-5 business days)
Paper check (mailed or hand delivered)
Cash
Mix of methods depending on the customer
05
How long to receive payment after work is done?
Same day or within 1-3 days
Within a week
1-2 weeks
3-4 weeks
More than 30 days
06
Do you pay suppliers or subs before getting paid?
No. I get paid before spending anything significant
Small amounts, covered by a deposit
Yes, significant costs before client pays
All costs paid before receiving any payment
07
Do fixed costs go out regardless of whether clients have paid?
Low fixed costs: mostly variable, tied to revenue
Moderate: manageable but require consistent cash
High: payroll and overhead go out no matter what
08
Do you have recurring or retainer revenue every month?
Yes, most revenue is recurring or retainer-based
Some recurring, but mostly project-based
None: every sale is a new transaction
09
How often are invoices paid late or disputed?
Rarely: almost all invoices paid on time
Sometimes: a few per month need follow-up
Often: late payments are a regular problem
Chronically: collections drains time and cash
10
How concentrated is your revenue across customers?
Spread across many customers: no one dominates
A few key clients make up most of revenue
One customer makes up 40% or more
11
How do you take money out of the business for yourself?
A fixed amount on a set schedule; anything extra is a separate decision
Roughly the same each month, with the odd extra when it is there
Whatever the account can spare that month
I mostly do not pay myself; I take what is left, if anything
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Ready to see where your money goes?
Answer all 10 questions then map your cash flow path.