Why Cash-Flow Analysis Is an Important Metric for Your Business

Do you have a successful business? How do you know? Since success can be defined in so many ways, it’s important to have a standard, universally accepted measure of success in business. That universal measure is cash. How much cash a business has on hand, how much cash a business generates over a given period of time, and how much cash someone would pay to buy your business are all ways to quantify the success of a business in a common unit of measure. For this reason, it may be beneficial for small-business owners to know how much cash is received and spent over time, as well as plan to ensure that their business has sufficient cash to manage its operations and fund its growth. One way to do this is through cash-flow analysis. 

What Is Cash-Flow Analysis? 

Cash-flow analysis measures how much cash is generated and spent by a business during a given period of time. 

But what exactly is cash-flow analysis? Put simply, cash-flow analysis is the measure of a business’s cash-flow income during a set period of time. A cash-flow statement is a financial statement that shows how much working capital a company has on hand available to use. This type of statement is important for a number of different situations. For instance, it shows investors how much capital you currently have, or can be used to show the bank how much income you’re generating if you’re trying to get approved for a loan, but it’s also important from a practical perspective as well. A cash-flow statement can show you exactly how much income you’re generating. You can then compare this to your outgoings to determine what type of returns you’re generating. 

Why does cash flow matter, though? What about other methods that companies can use to determine their profitability? 

In many ways, cash flow is the best measure of a company’s performance because: 

• Cash flow can be measured and compared. Cash is tangible, quantifiable, and can be measured in standard units acceptable to anyone. When comparing two companies – no matter how different – cash flow is a vehicle for preparing a true “apples to apples” comparison. 
• Cash flow is difficult to fake. There are many unscrupulous techniques that can be used to inflate profits, to artificially increase the value of assets, or to otherwise temporarily make a business look more successful than it really is. It’s difficult though to do the same with cash.
• Cash flow is universally accepted as a store of value. You don’t have to convince anyone as to the value of $10 million in cash. 

The same cannot be said for other assets like intellectual property, good will, depreciated equipment, and more. A used forklift may be worth something to the owner of a warehouse, but it’s worthless to a writer. An idea may be valuable to some people and useless to others. Everyone accepts cash. 

The Importance of the Cash-Flow Statement 

The cash-flow statement is the financial statement that presents the cash inflows and outflows of a business during a given period of time. It is equally as important as the income statement and balance sheet for cash-flow analysis. Without a cash-flow statement, it may be difficult to have an accurate picture of a company’s performance. The income statement will tell you how much interest you paid on a loan and the balance sheet will tell you how much you owe, but only the cash-flow statement will tell you how much cash was consumed servicing that loan. The income statement will record sales and profits but it’s the cash-flow statement that will alert you if those sales aren’t generating enough cash to cover expenses. 

Cash flow can be measured and compared. Cash is tangible, quantifiable, and can be measured in standard units acceptable to anyone.

There are two generally accepted formats for the cash-flow statement: the direct method and the indirect method. In both cases, cash flows from three main areas. 

1. Operations 

Cash flow from operations represents the main type of cash inflow and outflow for a business. Cash comes in from customers and goes out to pay for expenses, including inventory. When thinking about cash inflows from operations, it may be helpful to remember that it is not a measure of revenues. A company could sell $1 million this month and that sale could generate zero in cash if the entire amount is sold on 60-day credit terms. The income statement will show the revenues and the balance sheet will show an increase in accounts receivables, but there won’t be any incoming cash from this activity. Since your business will need to spend cash now to fulfill the order, it’s important to ensure that you have sufficient cash – or access to cash – in order to avoid a cash crunch. 

2. Investments

Cash flow from investment activities represents cash flows mainly from the purchase or sale of fixed assets. It also includes other less common investment-related activities, but its main focus is plant, property, and equipment. Cash from these activities is separate from operations because they tend to be for long-term planning and are not directly related to the day-to-day cash operations of a business. A company that consumes large amounts of cash for investment purposes indicates that it is investing for future growth, which consumes cash. If the cash from operations isn’t enough to cover investment activities, then another type of cash flow may be helpful. 

3. Financing

Cash flow from financing activities represents cash flows to and from third-party financial backers. It consists of cash related to debt such as proceeds (cash in) and loan payments (cash out). It also covers cash flow related to equity, such as share purchases (cash in) and dividends (cash out). Cash flow from financing activities helps gauge how much cash the company is generating on a net basis from third parties as opposed to cash from ongoing operations. 

How to Do a Cash-Flow Analysis 

To do a cash-flow analysis, start by identifying all sources of business income. Next, identify all of your business expenses This should include inventory purchases, accounts payable, and more. Next, create your cash-flow statement. Once you have the information pertaining to your business income and outgoings, you can categorize it into three different sections on your cash-flow statement: operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities, listing the income and expenses for each category. 

As you can see, cash flow is vitally important, and measuring it is an important part of keeping your company solvent. Taking the time to measure your cash flow is a good first step in accounting and can give you an overarching look at your company’s profitability. It’s also a useful first step toward other, more complex metrics, and is a good place to start when assessing the financial health of your company. 

FAQs on Cash-Flow Analysis 

1. What is a cash-flow analysis? 

A cash-flow analysis is a careful analysis of funds coming in and out of a business. This includes money coming in from primary operations, investments, and financing, as well as outgoing expenses. 

2. What are the benefits of a cash-flow analysis? 

The benefit of a cash-flow analysis is that it enables a company to assess its profits and liquidity. It allows you to see where the money is coming in and going out, so you can make sure there is enough cash to cover expenses and generate a profit. 

3. What is the purpose of a cash-flow analysis? 

A cash-flow analysis aims to ascertain what cash is coming in and out of the business and from what sources. It can help you to understand your business’s profitability and allow you to make adjustments that can improve your bottom line.

A version of this article was originally published on May 17, 2016.