yCalculator

Cash Flow Gap Calculator

Last updated: April 2026

Cash Flow Details

£

The direct costs of delivering your product or service — materials, direct labour, subcontractors.

£

The average value of stock you hold at any time. Enter 0 if you are a service business with no inventory.

£

How long your customers typically take to pay your invoices.

days

How long your suppliers give you to pay their invoices.

days

Your expected monthly revenue growth. Used to calculate how your working capital need will grow.

%

Cash Conversion Cycle

Days inventory outstanding0 days
Days sales outstanding30 days
Days payable outstanding30 days
Cash conversion cycle0 days

You collect from customers before paying suppliers — a positive cash position.

Funding Gap

Daily revenue£1,667
Cash conversion cycle0 days
Working capital required£0
Growth buffer (3 months)£0
Total working capital needed£0

Cash Cycle Visual

Day 0

Pay supplier

Day 30 to Day 60

Cash gap period

Day 60

Collect from customer

How to reduce your cash flow gap

  • Invoice financing: receive up to 90% of invoice value immediately upon raising.
  • Negotiate faster payment terms with customers, including early payment discounts.
  • Extend supplier payment terms where possible.
  • Reduce inventory holding with just-in-time purchasing.
  • Use a business credit card for supplier payments to extend effective DPO.

Recommendations

  • You collect from customers before paying suppliers. Protect this advantage as you negotiate new contracts.

What is the cash conversion cycle?

The cash conversion cycle (CCC) measures how long it takes for a business to convert its investments in inventory and other resources into cash from sales. It is calculated as days inventory outstanding plus days sales outstanding minus days payable outstanding. A positive CCC means you are funding a gap between paying suppliers and collecting from customers.

Why does the cash flow gap matter for growing businesses?

As a business grows, its cash flow gap grows proportionally. A business with a 30-day cash gap and £50,000 monthly revenue needs £50,000 of working capital. At £100,000 monthly revenue, it needs £100,000. Without adequate working capital, profitable businesses can run out of cash simply because they are growing too fast, a phenomenon known as overtrading.

What is invoice financing?

Invoice financing allows businesses to release cash tied up in unpaid invoices. A lender advances up to 90% of the invoice value as soon as you raise the invoice, rather than waiting for your customer to pay. This effectively eliminates the cash flow gap for B2B businesses. Use our Invoice Finance Cost Calculator to calculate the cost.

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