How Do You Make a SWOT Table (7-Step Guide with Example)

How Do You Make a SWOT Table?

Here are the steps you need to follow to make a SWOT table:

Identify Whom Are You Making the SWOT Table For

The first step in making a SWOT table is to identify whom the SWOT table is for. You can
make a SWOT table for an individual or a company. For example, you can make a SWOT
table for yourself. You can also make a SWOT table for your company or another company.

Example: In this guide, we’re making a SWOT table for a company – Amazon – as an
example.

State the Goal for Doing the SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is a tool you can use to analyze factors that support or oppose the
achievement of a goal. Without a goal or a decision to make, doing a SWOT analysis is
pointless.

For a company, a goal could be:

• Becoming more profitable

• Entering a new market
• Recovering from a setback
• Capturing market share
• Developing an R&D strategy

For an individual, a goal could be:

• Improving financial situation

• Addressing health goals
• Developing relationships
• Advancing career

As you can see, SWOT analysis can help address a wide range of personal, professional, or
organizational goals.

Example:
The goal for Amazon in this example is to maintain or increase profitability despite the effects of the
pandemic.

Draw a 2×2 Table and Label Rows, Columns, and Cells

In this step, you’ll draw the SWOT table. The SWOT table is a 2×2 grid. This means that the grid has
two rows and two columns.
After you draw the grid, label the columns as follows:

Next, label the rows as shown in the diagram:

Finally, label each cell in the grid in the following manner:

In the next steps, you’ll learn how to fill each of these cells.

Find the Internal Supportive Factors

In the context of SWOT analysis, a strength is an internal factor that supports the goal. Also, an
internal factor is any aspect that can be controlled.
For example, imagine that it’s snowing outside. Although you cannot control the weather, you can
control the way you dress. Therefore, the weather is an external factor and the way you dress is an
internal factor.
Example:
For Amazon, internal factors that support Amazon in maintaining or increasing profitability are:
• Amazon’s Online Platforms
• Market Share
• Diversified Business Portfolio
• Board of Directors
• Robust Supply Chain

Amazon has complete control

over these factors. And these
factors are supporting
Amazon’s goal. Therefore,
these are Amazon’s strengths.
Let’s fill these in the SWOT
table.
Discover the Internal Opposing Factors
From its position in the SWOT table, you can see that weakness is an internal factor that opposes the
goal. These are typically areas where:
• existing capabilities must be improved, or
• new capabilities must be built.
Example:
In the case of Amazon, internal factors that oppose Amazon’s goal for our SWOT analysis are:
• Relationship with Sellers
• Morale of Employees
• Work Culture
• Control Over Quality
• Lack of Brick-and-Mortar Presence
Leaving the above concerns unaddressed would oppose Amazon’s goal. Also, addressing these
factors is well within Amazon’s control. Therefore, these factors are Amazon’s weaknesses. Let’s fill
this in the SWOT table.

Spot the External Supportive Factors

A lot of people get confused between an opportunity and a strength. An easy way to tell them apart is
by looking at how much control the individual or the organization has over that factor.
For example, if you’re planning to go for a hike, having pleasant weather is an opportunity and not a
strength. The reason is you have no control over the weather.
At the same time, having pleasant weather supports your goal to go for a hike. Therefore, pleasant
weather is an opportunity to go for a hike.
Also consider this:
For a hiker, having good cardiovascular endurance is a strength. On the flip side having poor
cardiovascular endurance is a weakness. But a person with poor cardiovascular fitness can improve
that through action.
This brings us to another distinction – with effort, you can eliminate weaknesses and nurture
strengths.
One more thing: You can rely on your strengths to make long-term plans. However, opportunities are
fleeting – they do not last for a long time. Therefore, opportunities are better suited to short-term
plans.
Keeping these aspects in mind will help you differentiate between a strength and an opportunity.

Example:
Let’s look at some factors that aren’t under Amazon’s control but ended up supporting Amazon’s
goals:
• Internet Penetration
• Prevalence of Smart Phones
• Shift to Online Shopping
• Covid Related Lockdown Measures
• Availability of Cheap Labor
These factors aren’t within Amazon’s control. But you can see that Amazon has benefitted from these
factors. Therefore, these are Amazon’s opportunities. Let’s fill them in the SWOT table:

Pinpoint the External Opposing Factors

The last cell in the SWOT table is for the threats – external factors that oppose the goal. You may
have some trouble telling the difference between a threat and a weakness. So, let’s look at some
ways to do that.
A threat is an external factor. In other words, it’s an aspect beyond direct control. Therefore, all you
can do in the face of a threat is to manage the risks or address it through other channels.
Unlike a weakness, which you can overcome or eliminate through direct action, you cannot remove a
threat from the picture through direct action.
For example, Joe Biden’s proposal to waive off intellectual property rights for Covid vaccines is a
threat to vaccine manufacturers. The pharma companies can’t directly intervene in policy formation
and would have to move through other channels to exert influence over the matter.
So, if the solution to an opposing factor is in the hands of another agent, then you can consider that
aspect a threat.
Example:
In Amazon’s case, we have a few factors that are opposing Amazon’s goals. Amazon does not have
direct control over these factors. So, they must either address them indirectly or must prepare the
company to bear the brunt of the risk as best as it can.
Here are a few such factors:
• Regulatory Bodies
• Political and Economic Instability
• Anti-Trust Lawsuits and Other Litigations
• Competition from Other Companies
• Geography, Demographics, and Culture

Let’s fill these factors into the SWOT table.

Next Steps
Now that you know how to make a SWOT table, you can look at our extensive library of SWOT
Analysis Examples. Here you’ll find in-depth SWOT analysis for major companies and industries.