A firm’s STRENGTHS are its resources and capabilities that can be used for developing a competitive advantage.
Examples of STRENGTHS are:
- strong brand names
- unique resources
- patented products or services
- good reputation
- most valuable assets
- positive financials
- access to resources
- unique or innovative technologies
To understand your company’s strengths, you must begin with a thorough understanding of what the company does, its area of business, and its revenue streams. In order to research this, you’ll want to find your company’s profile from one of the databases listed on this page.
A firm’s WEAKNESSES can be
- obsolete technology
- aging infrastructure
- financial concerns
- legal issues
- lack of resources
- how company is perceived (by customers or public)
- weak brand name or poor reputation
- leadership instability
- scandals/ethical issues
In order to ascertain your company’s weaknesses, you’ll want to rank the company against its peers
- Compare two companies’ financials using Mergent Online
An OPPORTUNITY could be an unfilled customer need, a loosened trade or government regulation, arrival of new technologies, demographic shifts, resource price shifts or a possible merger or venture. The external environmental analysis may reveal certain new opportunities for profit and/or growth.
In order to identify opportunities, research the industry in which your firm operates. Look for industry trends and forecasts which highlight changes in the economic, technological, social and political environments.
THREATS to your organization are generally changes that take place in the external environment. Some examples include: increased or new competition, new regulations, economic trends, shifts in consumer tastes away from the company’s products, emergence of substitute products, a weak economy or outmoded technologies.
In the company's 10-K report (annual report to the SEC), the company will sometimes identifies their own risks. Their risks are usually discussed in two parts of the 10-K:
You can find a company's 10-K report from the investor relations section of its website or in Mergent Online under the “Reports” tab.
You will only find a 10-K report for public companies. A 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that gives a comprehensive summary of a public company’s performance.
Find a SWOT analysis at HPU Libraries: Go to the database Business Source Complete, either from your Blackboard account (Databases) or by logging into MyHPU and clicking on the Libraries button and then databases.
Most large, public U.S. companies have a SWOT available.
From the advanced search screen (shown below), select SWOT Analysis from the drop down menu labeled "Publication Type," as in the image. Then enter the name of the company you're researching in the search box at the top of the page and hit the search button. Results should be relevant SWOTs.
Understand what is going on in the industry of your company (e.g. pricing trends, competition, cost trends, innovation) and what is happening in the operating environment (e.g. economy, demographic trends, regulation/laws etc) will help you assess the threats to your organization.
Use Mergent Online to find Industry Reports
Research your organization’s competitors and the threats they might pose to your company. Search using your competitor's company name and one of these subjects:
Use these databases:
You can create a SWOT analysis of your own business using the SWOT template from FormSwift.
The Essential Guide to SWOT Analysis is a well-researched, well-written, and well-rounded guide by FormSwift.
The guide will teach, prepare, and provide you with all the necessary tools to become a SWOT expert. It is complete with SWOT examples from innovative companies, such as Dreamworks and UBER.
In order to access the SWOT template, you must create an account first with FormSwift.