Strategic planning for business growth

SWOT analysis example

Guide

A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis can help you understand how your business is positioned in relation to the market and your competitors. You can use SWOT analysis for any of the following:

brainstorming
business planning
strategic planning
competitor evaluation
marketing
product development
business reports

SWOT example: Internal factors to assess

Below is an example of a typical SWOT analysis with information and examples of what to include in the internal factors section.

Strengths	Weaknesses
advantages of the proposition, product or business	disadvantages of the proposition, product or business
product capabilities	gaps in capabilities
competitive advantages over rivals	competitive weakness versus other similar businesses
innovative aspects of the product/business	outdated aspects of the product/business
any unique selling points	financial constraints
resources, assets, people	poor processes and systems
experience, knowledge, and data	lack of necessary accreditations
processes, systems, IT and communications	restrictions on IT, systems or communications

Examples of strengths

product is superior to other competitors
product lifespan or durability
costs - compared to competitors
manufacturing processes are efficient
IT system can easily handle expansion

Examples of weaknesses

competitors' products are superior or cheaper
budget is limited
staff are untrained in new processes

SWOT example: External factors to assess

Below is an example of a typical SWOT analysis with information and examples of what to include in the external factors section.

Opportunities	Threats
market developments	political factors
competitors' vulnerabilities	competitors
geographical or export opportunities	environmental pressure
seasonal influences	technological change
current styles or trends	legislative changes
niche markets	customer demand decrease