2. trengths
ASK yourself:
• What advantages does your company have?
• What do you do better than anyone else?
• What unique or lowest-cost resources do you have
access to?
• What do people in your market see as your strengths?
• What factors mean that you "get the sale"?

3. eaknesses
ASK yourself:
• What could you improve?
• What should you avoid?
• What are people in your market likely to see as
weaknesses?
• What factors lose you sales?

4. pportunities
ASK yourself:
• Where are the good opportunities facing you?
• What are the interesting trends you are aware of?
Useful opportunities can come from such things as:
• Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow
scale.
• Changes in government policy related to your field.
• Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes.
• Local events.

5. hreats
ASK yourself:
• What obstacles do you face?
• What is your competition doing that you should be worried
about?
• Are the required specifications for your job, products or
services changing?
• Is changing technology threatening your position?
• Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems?
• Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your
business?

6. SWOT Analysis Example

7. Example: Wal-Mart
Strengths Weaknesses
Wal-Mart is a powerful retail Wal-Mart is the World's largest
brand. It has a reputation for grocery retailer and control of
value for money, convenience its empire, despite its IT
and a wide range of products advantages, could leave it
all in one store. weak in some areas due to the
huge span of control.
Opportunities Threats
To take over, merge with, or Being number one means that
form strategic alliances with you are the target of
other global retailers, focusing competition, locally and
on specific markets such as globally.
Europe or the Greater China
Region.

8. Examples: Starbucks
Strengths Weaknesses
Starbucks Starbucks has a
Corporation is a very reputation for new
profitable product
organization, earning development and
in excess of $600 creativity.
million in 2004.
Opportunities Threats
New products and Starbucks are
services that can be exposed to rises in
retailed in their cafes, the cost of coffee and
such as Fair Trade dairy products.
products.

9. Example: Nike
Strengths Weaknesses
- Nike is a very competitive The organization does have
organization. Phil Knight a diversified range of sports
(Founder and CEO) is often products.
quoted as saying that
'Business is war without
bullets.
Opportunities Threats
Product development offers Nike is exposed to the
Nike many opportunities. international nature of trade.

10. Practice
Highly Brill Leisure Center has hired you to help them with their marketing decision making. Perform a
SWOT analysis on Highly Brill Leisure Center, based upon the following issues:
• 1.The Center is located within a two-minute walk of the main bus station, and is a fifteen-minute ride away from the
local railway station.
• 2.There is a competition standard swimming pool; although it has no wave machines or whirlpool equipment as do
competing local facilities.
• 3.It is located next to one of the largest shopping centers in Britain.
• 4.It is one of the oldest centers in the area and needs some cosmetic attention.
• 5.Due to an increase in disposable income over the last six years, local residents have more money to spend on leisure
activities.
• 6.There has been a substantial decrease in the birth rate over the last ten years.
• 7.In general people are living longer and there are more local residents aged over fifty-five now than ever before.
• 8.After a heated argument with the manager of a competing leisure center, the leader of a respected local scuba club is
looking for a new venue.
• 9.The local authority is considering privatizing all local leisure centers by the year 2000.
• 10.Press releases have just been issued to confirm that Highly Brill Leisure Center is the first center in the area to be
awarded quality assurance standard BS EN ISO 9002.
• 11.A private joke between staff states that if you want a day-off from work that you should order a curry from the
Center's canteen, which has never made a profit.
• 12.The Center has been offered the latest sporting craze.
• 13.Highly Brill Leisure Center has received a grant to fit special ramps and changing rooms to accommodate the local
disabled.
• 14.It is widely acknowledged that Highly Brill has the best-trained and most respected staff of all of the centres in the
locality

11. Answers
Strengths Weaknesses
1, 13, 14 (maybe 2, 10) 4, 11 (maybe 2)
Opportunities Threats
3, 5, 8, 9, 12 (maybe 10) 6, 7
As you can see my answer does not completely agree with yours.
This does not mean that you are wrong. It simply means that the
results of your analysis are represented in a different way. Points
2 and 10 are difficult to place. Point 2 depends on whether or
not wave machines or a whirlpool have a distinct competitive
advantage over a competition standard pool. Point 10 is an
internal strength and an external opportunity.

12. Resources
"SWOT Analysis - Discover New Opportunities. Manage and Eliminate Threats -
Management Training from Mind Tools." Mind Tools - Management Training,
Leadership Training and Career Training - Right Here, Right Now.. 17 Sep. 2009
<http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm#business>.
"SWOT Analysis." Marketing Teacher Homepage. 17 Sep. 2009
<http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_swot.htm>.