Some tips.

1) Use a spreadsheet computer program if possible; easy to modify and no math errors!

2) Keep it simple; round to nearest dollar and use a minimum. I show anything that costs $20 or more.

3) Be conservative; over-estimate expenses and under-estimate income.

4) This is a living document and should be updated every day as your estimates become real numbers.

How does this help you?

1) It forces you to thoroughly research costs and schedules.

2) It's a plan! You may see, for example, that you will have to spend $2,000 in January, February, and March before you start getting sales in April. Can you bear it? If not, now is time to find out. Maybe it will work with a change in schedule.

By keeping an accurate cash flow you can see what's coming and prepare for it accordingly.

If you have a spreadsheet program on your computer, I invite you to download a free sample cash flow from my web site. RIGHT click on following link, then click either "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com/Downloads/bbb-cashflow-example.xls If you have trouble downloading, just drop me a note and I'll email it to you! (Mailto: CashFlow@DaveBalch.com) (It is in Microsoft Excel format, but most major spreadsheet programs should be able to convert it.) That will help you get started... good luck!

Denial is what we do when we just can't face truth. It is very real, but it does nothing to fix problem. Did Peter's denial of failure of his seminars change anything? Did my denial of eroding revenue change anything? YES! In both cases it made a bad situation worse.

Two things happen when you are in denial. First, you have more anxiety because you haven't examined situation enough to know how bad it really is. No matter how bad it is, it's easier to deal with if you know where you stand. Second, there's a pretty good chance that delaying solution will make problem worse, maybe even completely unsolvable. By denying problem, you may be passing up a golden opportunity to fix it. Easily.

Do you have a situation that is too scary to deal with? Deal with it anyway.

Do you have a situation that is too embarrassing to face? Face it anyway.

Deal with it. Face it. Get it over with. You can't make it worse; you'll only make it better. You'll feel better too.