This is a tool used to examine your business’s Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in relation to its competition, business objective or in project planning.

STRENGTHS

  • Things your business does well
  • Qualities that make you stand out from your competitors
  • Internal resources such as skills, knowledgeable staff
  • Tangible assets such as capital, technology

What makes you stand out from your competitors, what aspects of your product and service is the best in comparison to others?

WEAKNESSES

  • Things your business lacks
  • Resource limitations
  • Unclear unique selling propositions

In what aspects and areas are your competitors better than you?

OPPORTUNITIES

  • Underserved markets for specific products
  • Few competitors
  • Emerging need for your products and services
  • Press/media coverage for your business

Is there something new or emerging that you can build on, is there a gap in the marketplace that you could exploit?

THREATS

  • Emerging competitors in your markets
  • Changing regulatory environment
  • Negative press/media coverage
  • Changing customer attitudes towards your company

Is your business facing any dangers that need to be addressed?

Some businesses find it helpful to plot their SWOT analysis onto a grid matrix.  You can download a template;

SWOT