Students copy out the following information to help further clarify the
idea of a SWOT analysis
To help clarify the differences between “Strengths” and “Opportunities” and “Weaknesses “
and “Threats”, the following observations might be helpful:
 Strengths and Weaknesses tend to describe the PRESENT situation.
 Strenths and Weaknesses are typically INTERNAL to whatever is being analysed.
 Opportunities and Threats are typically EXTERNAL to whatever is being analysed
 Strenths and Opportunities are POSITIVE factors.
 Weaknesses and Threats are NEGATIVE factors.
These characteristics are summarized in the following diagram.
Present
internal
Future
external
+
-
positive
negative
Strenths
(strong
points)
Opportunities
Weaknesses
(weak points)
Threats
SWOT Analysis – ask students to draw up a table and complete a swot
analysis based on the following example.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Highly Brill Leisure Center has hired you to help them with their marketing decision
making.
Perform a SWOT analysis on Highly Brill Leisure Center, based upon the following
issues:
The Center is located within a two-minute walk of the main bus station, and is a fifteenminute ride away from the local railway station.
There is a competition standard swimming pool; although it has no wave machines or
whirlpool equipment as do competing local facilities.
It is located next to one of the largest shopping centers in Britain.
It is one of the oldest centers in the area and needs some cosmetic attention.
Due to an increase in disposable income over the last six years, local residents have
more money to spend on leisure activities.
There has been a substantial decrease in the birth rate over the last ten years.
In general people are living longer and there are more local residents aged over fiftyfive now than ever before.
After a heated argument with the manager of a competing leisure center, the leader of a
respected local scuba club is looking for a new venue.
The local authority is considering privatizing all local leisure centers by the year 2000.
Press releases have just been issued to confirm that Highly Brill Leisure Center is the
first center in the area to be awarded quality assurance standard BS EN ISO 9002.
A private joke between staff states that if you want a day-off from work that you should
order a curry from the Center's canteen, which has never made a profit.
12. The Center has been offered the latest sporting craze.
13. Highly Brill Leisure Center has received a grant to fit special ramps and changing
rooms to accommodate the local disabled.
14. It is widely acknowledged that Highly Brill has the best-trained and most respected staff
of all of the centres in the locality.
Students are to imagine they are planning on starting their own small
business. They will need to work in pairs and come up with a product to
sell and a market in which to sell it (eg School FunFest, Caboolture
Markets etc.). Students then need to create a SWOT analysis for their
idea (one SWOT analysis for each pair). These need to be handed in with
an explanation of the business at the top of a word document, a SWOT
analysis table underneath and both students names.