Cadence
Cash calendar
A cash calendar saves headaches when you’re juggling rand receipts, clients’ quirks and Eskom’s load-shedding roulette.
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Why and when to use this card
A cash calendar is a real lifesaver for businesses with up-and-down cashflow or customers who never pay on the same date twice. If you run a tile wholesaler in Welkom or a quiche kitchen outside Beaufort West, this card takes guesswork out of your month. Use it at the end of every month when planning which invoices will be sent, chased and (hopefully) paid. If your supplier from Klerksdorp expects an EFT by the 2nd, you know exactly when to ring the bell. Early reminders help avoid sticky cash surprises around municipal rates, VAT201, or rent. The calendar also helps your admin person or bookkeeper keep track of which client needs a nudge after payday. For more on getting the basics correct, check the starter set at our kits.
How the calendar rhythm works
The cash calendar maps out every invoice date and expected receipt right on your wall, so your team can see what’s coming. List the key dates when you send invoices, the expected client payment slots, and collections follow-ups. Assign each slot to a person: owner, admin, or even the cashier at the trade counter. Example: the plumber in Welkom sets invoice dates every Thursday, with payments chased on the following Tuesday by their niece Sibongile (who runs admin from her kitchen), and big pay-ins always happen the day after SASSA grants clear. This rhythm means no two people chase the same cheque, and everyone knows their own slot.
- 1st: Send month-end invoices (owner)
- 4th: SMS clients payment reminder (admin)
- 7th: Chase overdue clients: phone call (admin)
- 15th: Cash up and bank deposits (cashier)
- 25th: Review late payers, trigger invoice charm (owner)
Bending for load-shedding and holidays
Life happens. So does stage 6 in Parys or a long weekend in April. If load-shedding hits on your scheduled invoice or follow-up day, push slots to the first workable hour after power returns. If a public holiday lands on your chase day (like Workers’ Day or around the school Easter break), slide everything one working day forward. Eskom cuts and public holidays don’t earn you grace from a landlord or Eskom itself (ja, ironic). Just make a habit of updating your printed card with a pen so everyone’s on the same page and you don’t double up a reminder. Avoids that awkward situation where your admin sends a payment request while the client’s in church on Good Friday.
Filled-in example: Welkom plumber
Sipho’s Pipes, a three-person team in Welkom, uses the cash calendar pinned to the break-room wall. Sipho (owner) handles invoice runs every Thursday. Sibongile, who manages admin, sends out SMS reminders every Monday. The cashier, Lerato, banks all in-person payments on the 15th and does a manual chase with old customers on the 25th. When load-shedding hits at 10am, they circle the affected slot and move it to when Eskom’s meant to turn the juice back on. During school holidays in March, they shift all chases by two days, because everyone’s out of town or at a family thing. For how to run supplier payments off your calendar, take a look at our supplier guide. If you want more on weekly routines, browse ops rituals. Or check FAQ for new firms if you’re still ironing out your rhythm.
If you’re running something like Beaufort Quiches outside Beaufort West, you’ll find the rhythm card keeps your receipts, load-shedding workarounds and school holiday shifts all in one place, even if your’s handwriting is a bit sketchy at month-end. It keeps revenue coming in, instead of chasing after cash that never lands.
