FREE TOOL / SOUTH AFRICA
Job cash-flow planner.
See the gap before you start.
Price your next job in rand, schedule the costs and test a late payment. See the cash gap—and the deposit that closes it under your assumptions.
Start with a job. Then change the numbers.
Your job, in rand
VAT excludedWhat you pay, and when
Actual payment dayInclude your own delivery time, travel, subcontractors and a share of overhead. Empty amounts count as zero. Examples are illustrative.
Customer payment plan
Moves milestone and final receipts. Your cleared deposit stays on day 0.
Working cash over the job
Deposit received · Materials & equipment
For your starting cash and 14-day delay. Milestone stays fixed; the final balance decreases. Same-day receipts and costs are netted. Agree suitable payment terms with your customer.
- Price for your 30.0% target margin
- R 30 000
- Estimated markup on job cost
- 42.9%
- Cash gap even with on-time payment
- R 3 500
The job shows a surplus, but the delayed scenario needs R 9 500 extra working cash.
No signup. No numbers submitted. Save a copy before leaving.
What this model covers. One job, calendar-day timing, a cleared deposit and only the costs you enter. VAT settlement, income tax, interest, other jobs, daily business overhead beyond your allocation, and intraday bank-clearing timing are excluded. Results are planning estimates; check your actual cash commitments.
THE THINKING BEHIND THE TOOL
Plan the timing,
as well as the price.
A quotation can show a surplus even when there is not enough cash to buy the materials or pay the team. This planner brings one job’s price, costs and expected payment days into the same view.
1. Enter what the job really costs
Include materials, labour, your own time, subcontractors, travel, a share of overhead and contingency. Enter the day the cash leaves your account. A cost paid at booking belongs on day zero, even if you use the materials later.
2. Schedule cash receipts
Use the deposit that will clear before you start. Set the milestone payment and its expected receipt day. Final payment terms begin after the work is complete. “Invoice issued” and “cash received” can be different days.
3. Stress-test a late payment
Move the delay slider to push milestone and final receipts later. The lowest daily balance shows whether this one job needs extra working cash. You can then test an earlier milestone, more starting cash, a different deposit or revised supplier payment dates.
An illustrative installation job. A R30,000 quote with R21,000 of costs has a R9,000 surplus before income tax. With R2,500 starting cash and a 30% deposit, materials can still create a day-zero gap. If the milestone is 14 days late, the example needs R9,500 extra cash at its lowest point.
Load “Installation job” above to explore the daily timeline. Every number is editable.
How the figures are calculated
Job surplus = price − total entered costs. Margin = surplus ÷ price. Target price = costs ÷ (1 − target margin). Daily working cash = starting cash + receipts received to date − costs paid to date.
The minimum deposit searches for the smallest percentage that avoids a negative daily balance in the delayed scenario, while keeping the milestone percentage fixed. If even the maximum available deposit cannot close the gap, change the price, costs, starting cash or schedule.
South African context and sources
Late payments are a recognised challenge for local small businesses. The Department of Small Business Development’s statement on late payments explains the impact on suppliers.
This model excludes VAT settlement. SARS identifies the standard VAT rate as 15%; whether VAT applies and is recoverable depends on your business and the supply. Check SARS VAT guidance and plan your VAT payments separately. Do not treat VAT collected as job profit.
Tool methodology and source links reviewed 13 October 2026.
A FEW USEFUL ANSWERS
Before you plan.
Is the job cash-flow planner free?
Yes. Use the calculator, try the examples, and download a CSV or print a planning report without creating an account. The numbers you enter are calculated in your browser and are not submitted to PCube Innovations.
How is a deposit calculated?
The planner finds the smallest deposit percentage that keeps the modelled daily working cash at or above zero. It uses your starting cash, scheduled costs, fixed milestone percentage and selected payment delay. It reduces the final payment by the extra deposit. This is a conditional planning result, not a guarantee or a recommended contract term.
Why can a profitable job have a cash gap?
Profit compares total price with total job costs. Cash flow also includes when money arrives and leaves. If materials and wages are paid before a customer pays the balance, you may need starting cash, a larger deposit, earlier milestones or different supplier terms to bridge that period.
Does this calculator include VAT or income tax?
No. Prices, receipts and costs are modelled without VAT, and the job surplus is before income tax. VAT-registered businesses should enter VAT-exclusive amounts where VAT is recoverable and plan VAT settlement separately. Include irrecoverable VAT in costs. Businesses that are not registered should use the actual amounts they pay and do not add output VAT.
What does the late-payment scenario change?
It moves both the milestone receipt and final receipt later by the number of calendar days you select. The deposit remains on day zero because the model assumes it has cleared before you start. Job costs keep their scheduled payment days.
Can I use this for a workshop, installation or service project?
Yes. The example jobs provide starting points for parts and labour, materials paid upfront, or staged service delivery. Replace every example amount and payment day with your own. The tool models one job; it does not forecast every transaction in your business.