You've probably heard of a SWOT analysis — but if you're being honest, do you actually know how to run one, what to do with the results, or why it's worth the time? This episode is the down-and-dirty practical walkthrough that most resources skip, built specifically for small and mid-sized business owners who want to do strategic planning right without spending a fortune on consultants. And the reason we made it? Our number one most-listened-to episode on this podcast is on strategic planning — so it turns out you want more of this, and I'm happy to deliver.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The eight key reasons every business should conduct a SWOT analysis — from strategic planning, decision-making, and opportunity identification to competitive advantage, resource allocation, alignment and communication, continuous improvement, and goal setting — and why skipping it means you're wandering aimlessly through the next quarter
- How to run a SWOT analysis step by step — gathering your team and defining your purpose, identifying internal strengths and weaknesses (including revisiting customer testimonials and reviews), identifying external opportunities and threats, and the specific questions to ask yourself in each category
- How to analyze and prioritize your SWOT findings using a two-by-two matrix and a one-to-ten impact rating scale — and why ranking items by potential impact before you start building strategies is what makes the difference between a SWOT that drives action and one that sits in a folder
- How to develop and implement strategies from your SWOT results — using strengths to capitalize on opportunities, building action plans to address weaknesses, exploiting external opportunities, and developing contingency plans for threats before something goes wrong and you're running down the road trying to figure it out
- How to use a SWOT analysis as a leadership team-building exercise — why ordering breakfast and running this together in a half-day retreat beats another happy hour, how often to update it, and when bringing in an external facilitator makes more sense than DIYing it
Chapter Markers:
- 00:00 — What Is a SWOT Analysis and Why Your Business Needs One
- 01:12 — 8 Key Reasons to Conduct a SWOT Analysis
- 05:33 — How to Run a SWOT: Step 1 — Prepare Your Team and Set Your Purpose
- 06:32 — Step 2: Identify Your Strengths (Internal)
- 07:52 — Step 3: Identify Your Weaknesses (Internal)
- 08:44 — Step 4: Identify Your Opportunities (External)
- 10:47 — Step 5: Identify Your Threats (External)
- 11:57 — Analyze and Prioritize: The Matrix and 1-to-10 Impact Scale
- 13:19 — Develop Strategies: Leverage Strengths, Address Weaknesses & Mitigate Threats
- 14:25 — Implement, Review & Update: Action Plans and Quarterly Check-Ins
If you're ready to do a SWOT on your business and want to know what your HR and people operations foundation actually looks like before you start — so you have accurate data going in — take the free HR Audit first: saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit
🔍 Ready to find out what's really going on inside your business? Take the free Salt & Light HR Audit at saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit. In about 10 minutes, you'll get a clear picture of where your people operations stand — and exactly where to focus next. No fluff, no sales pitch. Just clarity.
Resources to keep building:
🎯 Take the free HR Audit — Score your HR systems in 5 minutes and see exactly where your gaps are. 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hraudit
🎙️ Listen to Don't Waste the Chaos — The podcast for small business owners building strong people operations. 👉 kerrimroberts.com/podcast
📖 Get The HR Easy Button — Kerri's book on building HR systems that actually work for small businesses. 👉 https://amzn.to/4cPyrFh
✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter — Weekly HR insights for founders, in your inbox every Monday. 👉 saltandlight.myflodesk.com/saltandlightadvisors
Need fractional HR support or want to talk through a specific challenge? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/contact
Ready to build foundational HR systems on your own? 👉 saltandlightadvisors.com/hrfoundations
Connect with Kerri: 📷 Instagram: instagram.com/kerrimroberts 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kerrimroberts 🐎 Hippo Creek Farm on Instagram: instagram.com/hippocreekfarm
Episode-specific resources mentioned:
- SWOT Analysis step-by-step blog post — saltandlightadvisors.com (link in show notes)
- Traction by Gino Wickman (EOS/Entrepreneurial Operating System)
- Salt & Light Advisors SWOT facilitation services — saltandlightadvisors.com/contact
- Episode 3: Strategic Planning — kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/3
Full show notes + transcript: kerrimroberts.com/dontwastethechaos/27
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