流利说商务英语Level5Unit2Part2ASWOTAnalysisASWOTanalysisisawaytoevaluateacompany’spositioninamarket.Itidentifiesacompany’sstrengths,weaknesses,opportunities,andthreats.AbusinessmayconductaSWOTanalysistoassessitsperformanceordevelopstrategies.StrengthsAstrengthsisanadvantagethatacompanyhasoveritscompetitors.Itiswhatacompanyexcelsat.Strengthscanincludeeffectivemanagement,strongbrandequity,orpositivecompanyculture.Astrengthisaninternalfactor,whichmeansacompanyhascontroloverit.WeaknessesAweaknessisanissuethatpreventsacompanyfromperformingatitsbest.Itisaninternalproblemofthecompany.Weaknessesincludedebt,outdatedtechnology,orhighturnover.Companiesneedtoaddresstheirweaknessesinordertostaycompetitive.OpportunitiesOpportunitiesarepositivefactorsinamarket.Theyareexternal,whichmeanstheyexistoutsideofacompany.Examplesofopportunitiesincludenewtechnologyorcustomerdemographics.Ifacompanyidentifiesanopportunityearlyon,itcangainanadvantageoveritscompetitors.ThreatsAthreatisanexternalfactorthatcouldharmacompany.Examplesofthreatsincludeeconomicdownturnandincreasedcompetition.Companiescannotcontrolthreats,buttheycanrespondtothem.Byanticipatingathreat,acompanycanminimizeitsimpact.Inanutshell,aSWOTanalysiscanhelpyoupinpointproblemsanddeveloprelevantstrategies.Tounderstandwhatitcouldleverageandimprove,thecompanyconductedaninternalanalysisofitsstrengthsandweaknesses.Acompany’sstrengthsarewhatitexcelsatanddifferentiateitfromitscompetitors.Havingstrongbrandequityisastrengthbecauseitmeanscustomerrecognition.Ifacompanyislookingtoattractnewcustomers,apooronlinepresencecanbeaseriousweakness.Ifacompanycanleverageanopportunityearlyon,itcanestablishabettermarketposition.E-commerceisathreattotraditionalretailers,whohavebeenforcedtochangetheirbusinessmodeltosurvive.Acompanycanimproveitsmarketsharebyanticipatingnewopportunitiesandtakingadvantageofthem.InChina,manybusinessesconsidertheSpringFestivalasanopportunitytosellmoreproducts.Formanyrestaurants,theriseofhealthyeatingpresentsanopportunitytoattractnewcustomersbyofferingmorebalancedoptions.Iftheydon’treactquicklytothethreatofe-commerce,theywillgooutofbusiness.Morecompaniesareinvestingincybersecuritytominimizethethreatofcyber-attacks.