Today, we will talk about a tool that is considered one of the most important tools in planning to start a new project. Not only that, but this tool can also be used in planning to enter a new project, introduce a new product into an existing project, or study a new trend in the market, such as specialty coffee in the coffee market. It is one of the most important and famous strategic planning tools.


I will try to explain the topic in a simple and concise manner, with questions under each of the four main points to help every project owner easily perform a SWOT analysis when answering these questions.


The four points are: (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). We can see that the name is an acronym for the words in English: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.


To make it easier to understand this tool, we will divide it into two sections:

  • Internal factors related to the project itself
  • External factors related to the external environment of the project


First: Internal Factors:

  1. Strengths
  2. Weaknesses


Second: External Factors:

  1. Opportunities
  2. Threats


Now, let’s look at the questions under each point:


Strengths:

  • What features does the project or establishment have that give it an advantage compared to others? Examples: (Patents, intellectual property rights, team capabilities, competitive pricing, added value, strong brand name, exclusive agency, founders' passion). Note: These should exist and not be future expectations; the project must already have them.


Weaknesses:

  • What weaknesses exist in the project that could give competitors an advantage? Examples: (New project, lack of funding, no previous customers, incomplete team, high operational costs, lack of market knowledge)


External Section (Market and External Environment):


Opportunities:

  • What factors in the market could help the project achieve high growth? Examples: (High demand such as the current demand for logistics and entertainment projects, high market growth like tech and financial projects, a large market for the project, high potential for growth, the ability to expand into other markets)


Threats:

  • What factors could lead to problems or crises for the project beyond the internal environment? Examples: (Changes in regulations or unclear regulations, unstable economic conditions, risks of technology disruption in the project, geopolitical or general economic risks, project dependency on specific clients for a limited period)