seasonal cash flow planning · August 26, 2026

Plan for the Slow Season While You Are Still in the Busy One

Businesses with a predictable slow season rarely get surprised by it on the calendar. They get surprised by the size of the gap in their bank account, because the busy months were spent enjoying the momentum instead of preparing for what reliably comes next.

Predictable does not mean automatically prepared for

Knowing a slow season is coming every year is not the same as having set aside money for it. Many owners know the pattern intellectually but still spend a strong month as if the momentum will simply continue.

The gap between knowing and preparing is exactly where seasonal businesses run into trouble, often every single year, in a way that feels surprising each time despite being entirely predictable.

A fixed percentage rule removes the temptation to skip it

Deciding in advance to set aside a specific percentage of revenue during strong months, before other spending decisions happen, removes the moment-by-moment temptation to spend the extra cushion on something that feels urgent but is not.

This percentage does not need to be large to matter. Even a modest, consistently applied rule creates a meaningfully different cash position heading into the slow stretch.

Slow-season spending should be decided during the busy one

Deciding, during a strong month, which expenses are truly essential during a slow one prevents the panic-driven cost-cutting that often happens once revenue has already dropped and decisions feel forced rather than planned.

A short list made in advance, of which costs stay and which pause during the slow season, turns a stressful scramble into a calm, pre-made decision that simply gets executed on schedule.

If your business has a predictable slow season, calculate today what percentage of this month's revenue you would need to set aside to cover it comfortably.