Managing Cash Flow

Author: Rob Stephens

One of the greatest sources of stress for small business owners is managing cash flow. 69% of business owners have been kept up at night by concerns about cash flow. More than half of U.S. businesses have lost $10,000 or more by foregoing a project or sales specifically due to issues created by insufficient cash flow.

This course shows you how to help clients assess current and future cash flows. You'll learn techniques to increase cash flow and reduce dips in cash flow. Critical sources of cash for businesses are listed, along with the pros and cons of major sources.

An explanation of how to prepare a cash flow projection is provided. You'll discover a company’s sustainable growth rate and how to increase it. You'll be shown how leverage can increase growth, profit, and cash. Leverage also comes with risks and you'll be shown how to manage those risks.

Publication Date: May 2026

Topics Covered

• The importance of cash flow
• Where businesses get cash
• Analyzing past cash flow
• Debt and equity funding
• The art of managing cash

Learning Objectives

• Recognize how to explore ways to assess current and projected cash flows
• Identify methods to increase cash flow and reduce dips in cash flow
• Identify sources of cash for businesses
• Identify the objectives of cash flow management
• Recognize the four main sources of cash for a business
• Describe the three conversion cycle periods
• Identify how the current ratio (aka working capital ratio) is calculated
• Recognize what is not added back to earnings to arrive at EBITDA

Level
Basic

Instructional Method
Self-Study

NASBA Field of Study
Accounting (3 hours)

Program Prerequisites
None

Advance Preparation
None