Library: Company Information: SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis

There are various strategies for finding a SWOT analysis. Not every resource listed here will provide a SWOT for every company you may be interested in researching. You may have to try more than one avenue before you hit pay dirt.

How to do the research

netMBA Provides a simple framework, explaining the different elements of a SWOT analysis.
Bplans.com A nice article, explaining what goes into creating a SWOT analysis.
SWOT Analysis: How to do the research This is a one-page guide to SWOT, prepared by Steven Bell, Director of Gutman Library at Philadelphia University. It includes information on how various library databases may help with the analysis. Baker University Library's electronic business databases can provide access to the information needed for the SWOT analysis.

SWOT Reports

Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
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Find articles that cover the full range of business topics, including company profiles, industry reports, market research reports, and SWOT analyses.
Provides nearly 3,300 full text scholarly publications, including more than 1,000 peer-reviewed journals. Subject areas include: accounting, banking, finance, international business, marketing, sales, etc. Indexing and abstracting from 1965-present. Some cases indexing go back further than 1965. Updated daily.

Business Source Premier SWOT search

Gale Business: Insights This link opens in a new window A unique database that brings together a wide variety of resources that cover companies and industries.
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This innovative resource includes company profiles (with corporate parent/sibling relationships), industry rankings, products and brands, investment reports, industry statistics, financial ratios, case studies, and corporate chronologies and history. Coverage is from 1980-present.

In the Search Box, type: your company. For example: McDonald's
Search.
When the company profile appears, SWOT Analysis will appear on the right side of the screen.

Often, you will find that much of the kind of information you need may be found in a company's annual report. Most public companies will feature access to their annual reports on their web pages.

Finding a company's annual report on the Internet:
In Google, type: your company followed by investor relations.
For example:
McDonald's investor relations

In the annual report, look for Risks