Cashflow is the discipline that catches out more growing UK businesses than any other. Profitable companies run out of cash because the timing of receipts and payments does not match the rhythm of the P&L. Xero and QuickBooks both produce serviceable historical cash reports, but neither delivers the rolling forward forecast that a finance director or owner-manager actually needs to navigate decisions. Float is a dedicated cashflow forecasting platform built precisely for that gap, and at PushDigits we deploy it for clients where cash visibility is mission-critical.
What Float does
Float syncs directly with Xero or QuickBooks, pulling in actual transactions, outstanding invoices and bills, and the chart of accounts structure. It then projects forward a rolling cashflow forecast based on:
- Existing accounts receivable: Phased by expected payment date, with customisable assumptions per customer.
- Existing accounts payable: Phased by due date or expected payment behaviour.
- Recurring revenue and cost patterns: Automatically inferred from historical ledger data.
- Scenario inputs: Manual additions for one-off receipts or payments, hires, capital expenditure, finance drawdowns and repayments.
The forecast updates automatically as the underlying ledger data changes, so a freshly raised sales invoice or a newly approved supplier bill is reflected without manual rework.
Where Float earns its keep
The product shines in situations where cash decisions are recurring and consequential:
- Growth-stage businesses: Where hiring decisions, capital expenditure and working capital movements all collide with month-end cash position.
- Project-based businesses: Where revenue is lumpy and milestone-driven, making cash timing critical.
- Seasonal businesses: Where the gap between peak revenue and trough revenue can stretch working capital uncomfortably.
- Businesses managing debt: Where loan covenants, repayment schedules or invoice finance facilities need ongoing cash visibility.
Scenario planning
Float supports multiple scenarios in parallel, so a management team can model a base case, an upside and a downside, and see how cash position evolves under each. This is genuinely useful in conversations with investors, lenders or boards, where a single point forecast is rarely sufficient.
Limitations to plan around
Float is a specialist tool with deliberate scope. Practical considerations:
- Quality of the underlying data: Float's forecast is only as good as the ledger feeding it. If your Xero or QuickBooks is poorly maintained, Float will produce confidently wrong projections.
- Ongoing maintenance: Scenario assumptions need updating as plans change. Set-and-forget produces a forecast that drifts away from reality within weeks.
- Not a substitute for budgeting: Float models cash. It is not a full budgeting tool, P&L forecast platform or KPI dashboard. Pair it with Spotlight Reporting, Fathom or a budgeting tool where those needs apply.
How to deploy Float well
- Clean the source ledger first. Reconcile bank feeds, age receivables and payables, and tidy up duplicate or stale entries.
- Agree the chart of accounts grouping. Float forecasts by ledger category, so the structure matters.
- Set realistic payment assumptions. Override the defaults with actual customer behaviour, particularly for slow-paying segments.
- Schedule a regular review. Monthly is the minimum cadence at which the forecast stays meaningful.
- Use scenarios for decisions. Hiring rounds, capex, financing decisions and large customer contracts all justify a scenario.
How PushDigits supports your software choice
As ICAEW Chartered Accountants, Xero Platinum Partners and QuickBooks Elite Partners, we deploy Float for clients where cashflow visibility drives major decisions. If your current view of cash is a bank balance and a hope, our team can implement a proper forecasting layer and review it with you on a regular cadence. Explore our business advisory and bookkeeping services, or book a consultation to discuss your cashflow.