← DictionaryCash Flow
The timing of money entering and leaving a business.
Not profit. Whether money is in the account when you need it.
What It Is
Cash Flow is part of Business, and more precisely Finance. The canonical meaning is the timing of money entering and leaving a business.
It is an idea you reason with rather than a deliverable you hand over, so two teams can both hold it correctly and still apply it differently. Held that way, the term stays useful instead of turning into decoration.
How It's Used
Cash Flow earns its keep in commercial decisions, pricing conversations and how the business runs. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to Margin, Payment Terms and Revenue. The practical test is whether a decision changes because of it.
Why It Matters
The cost of being vague about Cash Flow shows up later, not today. When it is unclear, margin leaks in places nobody is looking. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
Imagine a rule of thumb that helps you choose between options. Not profit. Whether money is in the account when you need it.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Cash Flow means exactly the timing of money entering and leaving a business.
In plain conversation it comes out as not profit. Whether money is in the account when you need it.
The Bottom Line
Cash Flow is not complicated — it is just often left vague. Not profit. Whether money is in the account when you need it. Decide it, write it down, move on.