Business preparation guide · 29 October 2026
How should I brief an adviser on cash-flow planning?
Use this guide to prepare a focused business enquiry and agree a useful professional engagement. It covers information gathering and project planning. Entity-specific tax, legal and accounting conclusions require qualified review of the facts and current requirements.
What information is needed for a cash-flow planning discussion?
Prepare bank balances, expected receipts, payment commitments, debt terms and business plans. Distinguish confirmed amounts from estimates. Explain the decisions the forecast must support so the adviser can suggest an appropriate time horizon and level of detail.
How should cash-flow forecast assumptions be recorded?
Document the basis, owner and update date for each major assumption, such as collection timing, sales volume and payment terms. Keep alternative scenarios separate. A clear assumptions schedule helps management understand why the forecast changes.
What should I ask about outsourced CFO reporting?
Ask which reports, meetings and decision-support tasks are included, how frequently they are provided and who supplies source data. Define the business contact and escalation process. Clarify whether bookkeeping, tax compliance or funding introductions are separate engagements.
How should management use a cash-flow forecast review?
Compare actual results with the earlier forecast and discuss the reasons for material differences. Update assumptions with supporting information and assign actions. Treat the forecast as a planning tool rather than a promise of future financing or performance.
Turn the discussion into an agreed scope
Write down the objective, the entity and period involved, the information already available and the decisions still needed. Ask the proposed engagement team to identify the next information request and the person responsible for each response. Keep technical assumptions separate from verified facts.
Before work starts, confirm the deliverables, review process, fees and exclusions in writing. Ask how additional work will be approved and how confidential documents will be exchanged. This preparation supports an informed proposal; it does not determine the business’s legal or tax position.
Authoritative reference
Consult the relevant authority or reporting-standard source for current requirements. This guide provides preparation steps and does not reproduce the authority’s full rules.
Prepared by DSB Chartered Accountants LLC Technical positions, calculations, thresholds and filing decisions should be reviewed by the appointed professional for the relevant period.
Discuss the scope with our CFO and finance advisory team.