Home
>
Success
>
Swotting for Success

Swotting for Success

Not so long ago, I impressed the daylights out of a friend, by showing him his face on my PC's screen. As I tapped away at the minus key, the picture slowly zoomed-out, revealing that it was a picture of the two of us, and it soon became clear where the picture was taken. As I continued to zoom out, more details came into view; the picture was actually a small part of a scanned photograph of the two of us sitting by my desk, watching the monitor. The photo was merely lying on the desk when the high-resolution picture was taken.

Aside from the fact that even just viewing this high-resolution picture took up obscene amounts of disk space and memory, and slowed down my PC to the speed of a Sinclair ZX-81, the story also serves as a fairly long-winded analogy to an important business concept. We constantly lose track of the big-picture; we forget what we're trying to achieve, and get sidelined dealing with email enquiries, financial issues, bug-fixes, submitting our site to the search engines and other day to day tasks. All part of running a small web-based business. The bigger companies have staff to deal with the correspondence, answer the phone, market their products and spend day or weeks on getting their new logo just right. We do not.

But there's a serious risk to this; not only is it incredibly easy to lose track of where you are and what you're doing, chances are you won't even see the threats and opportunities that may be passing you by without you even realising.

Which is why I love the SWOT analysis - one of the few genuinely useful tools that I picked up during my years at the Leeds Business School. SWOT stands for Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Threats - and offers a fast, simple and powerful tool for internal and external appraisal.

The idea that you as a company should play to your strengths and improve on your weaknesses is a simple and obvious one, but first of all you need to identify them. Ten minutes is all you need to give this a go? and you might well be surprised at just how useful it really is.

Your strengths

What are your strengths? What are you good at? Perhaps it's an established name and reputation, or that of your software. Maybe you have something unique that people need and use, or maybe your current price is what really sets you apart from the competition. Don't go for being modest here - what makes you good? And what makes your software so desirable? Distribution methods could be a strength - if you rely solely on internet distribution, then this is as hands free as its gets. Or maybe your manual that registered users receive is seen as the bees-knees of the PC world.

Weaknesses

Chances are that drawing up the list of your strengths brought a few weaknesses to mind. Every potential strength has an equal chance of being a weakness; perhaps you're relatively new to the shareware industry, and don't yet have an established name. Maybe your software isn't really that good, or maybe there's no real demand for it - be honest here, or you're wasting your time. Is there really anything that sets your software apart from the competition? Or are you just one of the many, who will get a certain percentage of the market sales by the simple statistics of random choice? If your sole distribution method is through the internet via downloading, is the file small enough to be a realistic download?

Opportunities

Now we're getting onto the good stuff. Based on your listed strengths and weaknesses, a few possible opportunities must have presented themselves. Perhaps you should be adding your software to more download sites? Not just the big ones, but as many as possible. Think about it - how long does it take you to add your details to Boomer's Shareware Shake-Down? Okay so the chances of someone finding your software there are low, but how many sales do you need to make those two or three minutes worthwhile? Better still, have someone do it for you. What about getting a write-up in a magazine? You don't think the editors already have enough content do you? Take advantage of Al Harberg's service, and get your name out there.

How about producing a CD version of your software, or putting together a printed manual? At the time of writing this article, we're doing a review of an application named Windows Commander, and registered users get a single A4 page folded into a booklet. Know what? We love it! Simple instructions and shortcut key reference; it looks like it's been printed on a decent laser printer and photocopied. And it's as good-looking and professional as some of the printed manuals we receive.

How about different language versions? Perhaps not as difficult to implement as you might think. Don't be constrained here - don't think ideas through to the bitter end before rejecting them, just get them written down.

Threats

The nastier part of the process - chances are there are more dark clouds hanging over you than you realise. If one of the basic principles of warfare is to know your enemy, one of the pillars of good business should be to see your threats. Threats can come in many different forms; one of the most likely is competition. Have you had a look at what's out there lately? Do you know who your competition is, what they sell, and how popular they are? Are they more popular than you? If so then why? Maybe new technology is going to pull out the carpet from under your feet, or for that matter new developments. If your software is an animated GIF maker, then you should be watching industry developments in this are very closely right now. Especially if you depend on it to make a living.

Example. At the time of writing this article, Enfish Tracker Pro was one of the most impressive applications that I had ever come across. It allowed me to track data throughout my PC, and does so crossing all boundaries - data type, application source, network, internet and so on. One of the main things that I initially used it for was searching through the many thousands of emails that I had collected over the past few years. At the time I used Eudora Pro, and no matter how carefully I structured sub-directories and groups, hunting for a particular letter can still be fairly time consuming. Enfish was my saviour in this particular arena, and would be still today, had it not been for the release of version 4.2 of Eudora. Among other things, the search features have been vastly improved, and allow me to search using any combination of subject, author, date and so much more. This feature of the Enfish software is now largely redundant.

Keep an eye on new technology - it can sneak up on you quicker than you think. And if your software enhances or improves other products, the next release might leave you stranded. The same principle applies if your software largely depends on the features of a particular operating system. Off the top of my head, I could name more than ten applications that will be totally redundant when Windows 2000 is finally released. You do already know about the new features of this "operating system of the future" don't you?

The SWOT analysis won't produce or create anything for you, it's merely a tool. For many of us, it's main purpose will be to prop open our eyes and force us to lift our heads and see the bigger picture. Focusing on what we're good at and what needs improving is vital, and the importance of seeing the opportunities and threats that are out there can't be overstated. Look at your software and business in general as a trophy. Wipe off the dust, polish the shiny bits, and maybe swing over the spotlight to show it off. Looks good, doesn't it? You might also want to move the vase before it falls on it, oh and for god's sake get that stand fixed before it collapses? Be seen, be sold.

About The Author

Dave Collins is the CEO of SharewarePromotions Ltd., a well established UK-based company working with software and shareware marketing activities, utilising all aspects of the internet. http://www.sharewarepromotions.com and http://www.sharewarepromotions.com.

whole house cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.