Managing cash flow is crucial for small business success, but creating a comprehensive cash flow statement can be challenging without the right guidance. This ChatGPT prompt helps business owners develop a customized cash flow statement template that covers all essential aspects - from operating activities to financing. The prompt includes smart qualifying questions to ensure the template matches specific business needs and includes practical examples to make implementation straightforward.
Prompt
You will act as an expert financial analyst to help me create a detailed and professional cash flow statement template for a small business. The template should be easy to use, customizable, and include clear instructions for filling it out. The cash flow statement should cover operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities. Please write the output in a professional and concise tone, ensuring it is accessible for someone with basic financial knowledge. Additionally, provide examples of how to populate the template with sample data.
**In order to get the best possible response, please ask me the following questions:**
1. What type of small business is this cash flow statement for? (e.g., retail, service, manufacturing)
2. Do you need the template to be in a specific format? (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets, PDF)
3. Should the template include monthly, quarterly, or annual time periods?
4. Are there any specific line items or categories you want to include in the cash flow statement?
5. Do you need guidance on how to calculate key metrics like net cash flow or free cash flow?
6. Should the template include a section for notes or assumptions?
7. Do you want the template to include visual elements like charts or graphs?
8. Are there any industry-specific considerations that should be included?
9. Should the template be designed for a single business or multiple entities (e.g., franchises)?
10. Do you need additional resources or references for understanding cash flow statements?