

The store owner brought the team together to think about how the bookstore could survive during the continuing financial downturn. We thought it would be helpful to show you a sample SWOT analysis for a business you can easily visualize: a small independent bookstore in a university town. These threats will affect you less if you can identify and minimize them. (4) Threats are those external conditions that can have a negative effect on your goals.

These opportunities can point you in the right direction. (3) Opportunities are those external conditions that can have a positive effect on your goals. You can shore up those weaknesses so they don’t stop your success. (2) Weaknesses are those negative internal attributes that are working against your success. You can develop plans to capitalize on those strengths. (1) Strengths are those positive internal attributes that strengthen your business or team. SWOT stands for Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This analysis tool can help you focus your attention on the specific success factors that are right for your team. The goal is really a simple one: to help you understand your world and build a road map to guide your efforts.

'Strategic planning doesn’t have to be a daunting and lengthy process. This SWOT matrix diagram example was created on the base of article 'An Easy Way To Jumpstart Your Strategic Plan: SWOT' by Leslie Wolf from the website of the California Digital Library, the University of California.
