In essence, cash flow management is the practice of overseeing the movement of cash in and out of a business and implementing strategies to optimize it. To successfully manage cash flow, it is imperative to diligently monitor the timing, reasons, and amounts of cash transactions within the business. Many businesses routinely prepare cash flow statements, which document the inflows and outflows of cash during a specific accounting period.
While public companies are obligated to include cash flow statements in their annual financial reports, small businesses can also benefit significantly from regularly preparing and analyzing these statements.