PEST & SWOT Analysis Research Guide

Identifying Company Strengths & Weaknesses

Finding Opportunities & Threats

For market research resources, see the Market Research Guide. 

Questions to ask

Identifying Strengths

  • What does your company do better than its competitors?
  • What are your company's core competencies?
  • What unique resources does your company have?
  • What are its most valued assets?
  • What intangible assets does your company possess?

Identifying Weaknesses

  • Where is your company struggling? Where is it losing money?
  • Where does your company lack resources?
  • What are its competitors doing better? How can your company improve?
  • How is your company perceived by its customers or the public?

(Source: Louise Klusek, Newman Library, Baruch College)

Identifying Opportunities

  • What are the technology trends in your industry that you could take advantage of?
  • Could any current social trends benefit your industry?
  • Have any recent economic or regulatory changes affected the way your industry operates?
  • Do your current customers have unmet needs? If your customer base is changing, what can you offer these new customers?

Identifying Threats

  • What negative trends in the environment impact your company's performance?
  • Are any economic, political, regulatory, technological, or social factors changing how your industry operates?
  • Are any technological, social, or cultural changes affecting your customer base?
  • What are your competitors doing that could threaten your business?

(Source: Louise Klusek, Newman Library, Baruch College)