SWOT to OTSW?

With current financial pressures causing all businesses to conduct a fundamental re-think (i.e. if you feel you cannot spare time for a re-think in the current climate, then someone is already doing it for you…), the humble SWOT analysis can provide a short-cut, provided it is done completely differently…

Opportunities and Threats are outside the business, independent of it and transient. Three good reasons why O & T should be conducted before assessing Strengths and Weaknesses. Starting with Strengths and Weaknesses is simply doing more of what caused the current situation..

When Opportunities have been clearly identified and quantified, and possible Threats factored in, then 'Strengths' of the company should be evaluated against the Market-Opportunities, vs. other companies available to the market, that are capable of meeting those needs. Anything extra is by definition redundant, and therefore needs cutting off…
Weaknesses are negative versions of Strengths, and should be neutralised (elimination takes too much time!).
Finally, 'Transient' means little or no time.
Hence the brevity of this Blog, to allow you to get started right away..