How SWOT analysis can be useful for investors?
SWOT is a framework or a fundamental concept used by the company itself and the investors to evaluate a company’s overall health by analyzing its financial strength to develop strategic planning. The main components of SWOT are Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is one powerful framework that facilitates a data-driven and fact based look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats accompanied with an organization or an industry.
What is SWOT Analysis?
SWOT Analysis is a framework or a tool which is designed to facilitate a realistic learning and factual understanding about the company’s operations and strategies implemented. It is an efficient strategic planning tool which helps to assess an organization’s internal as well as external sources that may have an uncontrollable impact on decision making.
Components of SWOT Analysis
The four components of SWOT analysis which are Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats together form the framework.
Strengths
To analyze the strengths of a company, an investor keeps an eye on the positives and strengths of the company. The investors analyze the competitive advantages that the company has, extra resources and how the products of the company have been performing.
Weakness
To know the weakness of a company, an investor has to find out answers to some of the questions which include: what improvement does a company require, why and what products are underperforming, and where is the company lacking its resources. The answers to these questions allow investors to gain an understanding about several weaknesses of the company.
Also Read: Fundamental and Technical Analysis
Opportunities
The opportunities of a company are mainly impacted by the sector to which a particular company belongs. Suppose a company belonging to the IT sector has an immense opportunity to upgrade its technological products and services.
Threats
A company might have internal threats as well as external threats whose impact cannot be predicted but can be effectively managed. Investors must be aware about the management of the company if it’s able to mitigate the threats with efficiency. The company’s operations can be highly impacted by changes in laws and regulations, competitors’ efficiency, and changing consumer trends.
Importance of SWOT Analysis
There is a need to recognize that business activities are taking place in the right manner or not. To grab an opportunity, it is important to understand the effectiveness of SWOT analysis:
Strategic Planning
After identifying the strengths, opportunities and how the company manages to maintain its operations, investors can analyze and make their decisions effectively. A brief understanding about weakness and threats as well as the actions taken by the organization to mitigate such risks help investors decide their investments.
Resource Allocation
When a company itself conducts SWOT analysis then they can allocate the resources more effectively ensuring that weaknesses in the organization are addressed carefully. This is crucial information for investors to understand the measures taken by the company to allocate the resources properly.
Competitive Advantage
After examining the threats and opportunities, a company itself identifies the market trends and competitive dynamics which allow the organization to take a competitive edge.
Visualizing Complex Problems
Data tracking helps organizations to recognize the factors affecting the operations, customer, internal and external factors which can be managed by breaking them into smaller pieces. Companies can develop effective strategies after identifying the root cause of the problems in the organization. SWOT analysis aids to formulate strategies for investors to know how the company tackles different problems and capitalize on opportunities.
How to do the SWOT Analysis?
To perform the SWOT analysis, companies or investors must plan their goal and define certain objectives to implement the framework in one of the most effective ways.
Define your Objective
To conduct the SWOT analysis, in the first place you need to decide your objective, the actions you are going to take in positive or negative scenarios. If you want to expand the business or merge with another business or the ways you are going to invest in the business.
Identify SWOT
The company’s strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors however opportunities and threats are the external ones. Identify internal factors related to brand marketing, strong assets of the company to ascertain the strengths while on the other hand to recognize the weaknesses, consider the aspects where the business is not performing well that could be products, managements and other things.
Recognize various opportunities associated with the business such as customer demand, technological factors which can give a boost to the business going with the market trends. While considering threats of the business you must look at the competitors and factors that are not in control of your business which needs to be solved.
| Strengths What are the positive traits of the company? What resources does the company have? What is the greatest achievement? How does the company excel? What values does the company have to help it achieve the goals? | Weakness What disadvantages does the company have? What resources are lacking? What are the negative traits of the company? In what areas does the company require improvement? |
| Opportunities What new tactics can help the company to achieve its goals? How can technology help to transform business activities? How can you turn strengths and weaknesses into opportunities? | Threats What are the hindrances that affect a company’s operations? Are there any external factors that can have a huge impact on the business?Does the company have any obligation because of which its development is limited? |
Final Thoughts
Analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization provides insights about the operations of the company. It makes it easier for the investors to make the decisions by knowing how the company takes several measures and treats opportunities for their development.
FAQs
What is SWOT Analysis?
SWOT is a framework which consists of four components that are Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. A company analyzes its business operations and takes proper measures to address them.
How to conduct SWOT Analysis?
To conduct SWOT analysis, you need to analyze how the company is able to manage risks, maintain a competitive edge in the industry as well as the management of the organization. It would require a brief analysis of the strengths, weaknesses and threats to the company.
What are the strengths in SWOT?
In SWOT, strengths means the competitive edge or advantage that the organization has through which it can differ itself from other organizations. The strength of the company might be its spectacular products or services, brand recognition, etc.
What are the benefits of SWOT Analysis?
With the help of this framework, an investor can recognize the strengths of the company as well as weakness with the external forces like opportunities and threats.
