Supplier notes
Cash calendars owners will actually open
Month views founders defend in a Monday standup.
Monthly calendars get respect, not dust
If there’s one thing that trips up small business owners, it’s a cash planning calendar that goes ignored. I’ve seen too many founders in Ermelo and elsewhere set one up in January and then ghost it by Easter. A calendar that gets opened in a Monday standup, that actually sparks a sharp debate about what’s possible with this week’s inflows or that VAT201 deadline, will do more for your month-end than a pile of colour-coded tabs ever could.
For cash to flow, the calendar must live somewhere public. I’m talking about a printout on the fridge in the workshop, or a Google Calendar invite that tags every partner and admin. When someone changes a date or a supplier payment, everyone sees it. That’s what prevents forgotten payments and surprise debits.
A hard lesson from Port Shepstone
Ntombi from KZN Marine Installers told me how her first year nearly tanked because she didn’t track when clients paid deposits. She’d scribble due dates on sticky notes, but by the time she got back from a site visit at Hibberdene, half of them had vanished. Once she slapped her cash calendar up in the storeroom, she could see Wednesday’s overdue cheques staring her down next to Chuma the apprentice. No more double payments to that one supplier in Shelly Beach, and payroll got sorted before the 25th even with the odd high tide.
It’s not magic. It’s just putting the thing where it can nag you (and everyone else) until action happens. That’s why I’m fussy about where our Cash Spell kit calendar physically lives.
Concrete cues that keep cash habits alive
Every founder has that one week where receipts bury the best intentions. I tell people: reduce choices and make it foolproof. Founders in Paarl and Pretoria alike swear by trigger cues that prod them into action. It’s silly, but a sticky note on your kettle can save you R2,500 in late supplier fees. Here’s what’s been working for the folks using our cash calendar checklists:
- Set recurring phone alarms for VAT and EMP201 deadlines
- Share your calendar with your accountant or bookkeeper every Friday
- Add payday reminders for the 25th, with EFT cut-off times noted
- Tag each customer or supplier by their actual bank’s clearance times
- Block 20 minutes post-load-shedding to check receipts on the day
The unglamorous admin: dealing with outside deadlines
Dealing with the banks, CIPC or the landlord isn’t fun, but if their dates aren’t in your calendar, you’re guessing. For example, FNB and ABSA both freeze transactional facilities if your FICA documents expire, and banks rarely warn you in time. Same with CIPC annual returns. We see this often with newer clients coming from the Vaal Triangle who’ve only just started drawing up recurring ops rituals.
So put every external deadline in your cash calendar: bank FICA expiry, lease renewal, SARS eFiling cut-offs, even the municipal account’s payment window. When your supplier says payment by Friday to avoid stock-out, log it. Or you’ll end up chasing your tail while the branch closes early for power cuts on a Friday.
Passing handoff, not the headache
Founders get sick, take leave or just get stuck in traffic on the N2. If your cash calendar lives in one person’s head or phone, you’re inviting chaos. Share it with your no. 2, your bookkeeper, even your main supplier if you dare. Not everyone needs edit rights, but someone else must see what you see. At BizMagic we show clients how to set up sensible calendar handoff rituals, especially for months like April and December when public holidays mess up regular banking.
Handover is where alot of cash tightness creeps in. Your system should survive past the owner. That’s the test.
Keep it in play, not in a folder
If you let your cash plan disappear into a folder, you’ll soon be back to stress and guesswork. Ask your team, or your accountant: did anyone open it this week? If the answer is no, try something else. We see small manufacturers in Benoni stick their calendar next to the breakroom coffee, and a Durban print shop using WhatsApp to nudge staff on overdue receipts.
Keep your view public. Review it in short weekly stints. Build your own rhythm with the cash calendar cadence and keep the thing in play. It’s your difference between fire-fighting and a founder’s version of calm.
