A good red wine and, as I discovered not long ago, a marketing tool that I first met in the 80s both age well.
At a recent business women’s networking breakfast in Mullumbimby (one of my local towns in northern NSW) we were lucky enough to have Susanne Schmid, a European based consultant , as our guest speaker (see http://schmid-training.com). Susanne used the SWOT Analysis to help we local women look at our businesses with fresh eyes.
The SWOT in action
If you’re not familiar with SWOT the letters stand for the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing any business in its current environment. Susanne gave us a handout with the 4 SWOT letters presented in the points of a diamond which in turn was surrounded by a rectangle.
When I first looked at my handout I confess I felt surprised that Susanne was using such an old tool. However when she used the SWOT framework to ask us a range of gently challenging questions about ourselves and our businesses, I could see how helpful it was and indeed that the SWOT had aged well!
The SWOT and AnD Consulting
Since that breakfast I’ve spent time applying the SWOT handout to my business AnD Consulting, and to my surprise and delight I have secured several new pieces of work since then. Coincidence? Who knows, but I think not!
The SWOT and your business
What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing you right now? And what can you do to enhance your strengths and opportunities and overcome your weaknesses and threats?