This document provides an overview of a SWOT analysis, which examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for an organization. It describes SWOT as an internal and external assessment tool used in strategic planning. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors under an organization's control, while opportunities and threats are external factors in the environment. The document outlines guidelines for conducting a SWOT analysis and provides an example SWOT analysis for a peasant cooperative.
Even if you already know what a SWOT analysis is and what it’s used for, it can be tough to translate that information into something you can action.
It can also be hard to examine your own business with a critical eye if you’re not entirely sure what you should be examining.
Reading an example SWOT analysis for a business that is either in your industry or based on a comparable business model can help get you started.
All of our SWOT analysis examples are based on real businesses that we’ve featured in our gallery of free sample business plans on bplans.com
The following 6 examples are
broken into three parts:
1. A quick introduction to the company.
2. The company’s SWOT analysis.
3. Some potential growth strategies for the company based on what’s revealed by the SWOT analysis.
Even if you already know what a SWOT analysis is and what it’s used for, it can be tough to translate that information into something you can action.
It can also be hard to examine your own business with a critical eye if you’re not entirely sure what you should be examining.
Reading an example SWOT analysis for a business that is either in your industry or based on a comparable business model can help get you started.
All of our SWOT analysis examples are based on real businesses that we’ve featured in our gallery of free sample business plans on bplans.com
The following 6 examples are
broken into three parts:
1. A quick introduction to the company.
2. The company’s SWOT analysis.
3. Some potential growth strategies for the company based on what’s revealed by the SWOT analysis.
3. SWOT: Description
• A SWOT analysis generates information that
is helpful in matching an organization or
group’s goals, programs, and capacities to
the social environment in which it operates.
• Factors internal to the firm usually can be
classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses
(W), and those external to the firm can be
classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T).
• It is an instrument within strategic planning.
• When combined with dialogue it is a
participatory process
4. SWOT: Internal Factors
• Strengths
Positive tangible and intangible attributes,
internal to an organization. They are within the
organization’s control.
• Weakness
Factors that are within an organization’s control
that detract from its ability to attain the core
goal. Which areas might the organization
improve?
5. SWOT: External Factors
• Opportunities
– External attractive factors that represent the reason for an
organization to exist and develop. What opportunities exist
in the environment, which will propel the organization?
– Identify them by their “time frames”
• Threats
– External factors, beyond an organization’s control, which
could place the organization mission or operation at risk.
The organization may benefit by having contingency plans
to address them if they should occur.
– Classify them by their “seriousness” and “probability of
occurrence”.
Back to Design
6. Simple Rules for SWOT Analysis
• Be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of
your organization or group.
• Distinguish between where your organization is
today, and where it could be in the future
• Be specific: Avoid gray areas.
• Always analyze in relation to your core mission.
• Keep your SWOT short and simple. Avoid
complexity and over analysis
• Empower SWOT with a logical conceptual
framework.
7. SWOT for a Peasant Coop
• Strengths
– The peasants who have organized the cooperative are relative
young and with a strong awareness of social justice.
– They have participated in an agro-ecological planning workshop.
– They control agricultural lands with irrigation
– Both men and women are active participants
– Local school teachers are members of the organization.
• Weakness
– Lack marketing expertise in cities.
– Lack access to credit
– Depend on intermediaries for transportation
– poor quality control of produce
8. SWOT for a Peasant Coop
• Opportunities
– Modern farm-market facilities have been developed in three
towns.
– An NGO has organized a system of small credits for women.
– The county is building a secondary road between the coop location
and the main highway.
• Threats:
– A large food retailer is contracting with local peasants.
– Transportation intermediaries have access to local government
officers.
– Some peasants are selling their land to developers and out
migrating to large cities.
9. Caution!
• SWOT analysis can be very subjective. Do
not rely on it too much. Two people rarely
come-up with the same final version of
SWOT.
• Use it as guide and not a prescription.