Even a confirmed order does not mean the money is already available for current expenses. For organisational planning, track the delivery of work and actual payments separately.

Separate the events of an order

Write down the date of agreement, delivery, invoicing and expected payment. Compare them with payments to suppliers and other obligations. Do not treat a promised payment as money already received.

Test a delay scenario

Mark which actions depend on receiving payment on time. If a gap appears, discuss it with a financial or tax professional before taking on new commitments. A general table is not a recommendation to borrow.

A teaching example of the difference between an order and a payment

Imagine a service invoiced at €500, delivered at the end of the month, with payment agreed for the following month. Recording the completed work does not add money to your account today. If a supplier must be paid before the money arrives, the calendar must show both events separately. The example does not determine when the transaction is recognised for accounting or tax purposes; that is checked with a professional under the applicable rules. Its purpose is to show the organisational difference between the result of the work, an expected payment and the balance actually available.

Which lines you need to check your cash flow

For each significant incoming or outgoing payment, record the basis, the expected date, the confirmation status and whether it actually happened. Keep expected new orders separate from agreed ones, and agreed ones separate from paid ones. Keep a history of changed dates. If a gap appears, do not hide it by moving a line without reason: find out which obligations and decisions are affected. Discuss the next steps with a suitable professional in light of the actual agreements. A table like this helps you see a problem early, but it is not a recommendation on loans or financing.

What to check

  • Keep a calendar of actual payments.
  • Track expected incoming payments separately.
  • Check significant changes in payment dates.
  • Agree on how outstanding invoices are monitored.

Example situation

A service is delivered in one month and the customer pays the next. In between there are running costs that a revenue entry cannot cover.

Next step

Understanding the timing of cash flows helps you ask a professional specific questions about the financial stability of your project.

Official information on this topic

Checklists and examples are organisational recommendations. Requirements depend on the procedure, the city and your situation; check them with the relevant office before you act. Please discuss legal and tax questions with an authorised professional.

This article was prepared with the help of AI. The example illustrates the approach and does not describe a client case.