Get your money’s worth out of your stimulus check.  Receive a free PowerPoint presentation, a $750 value, when you purchase a MasterPlans business plan in May. Select a Level 2 or a Level 3 business plan this month, and you’ll also receive a free copy of Palo Alto Software’s Marketing Plan Pro, worth $179.  These specials are only good through the end of May, so call  us today for more information.

They say baby boomers are the most inquisitive generation yet. By they time they buy a car, visit a restaurant or see the doctor, they’ve got a fistful of information pulled off the Internet and a shrewd knowledge of what they want and how much they’re willing to pay.

Boomers haven’t got the market on that. Being well-informed, especially about where your money goes, is a sign of the times. And if you’re a smart company, you won’t hide your services – and their prices – behind an opaque screen that presumes “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”

Here at Sente Creative, we’ve had enough of agencies charging and charging and charging for creative services. We know what copy-writing, Web design and multimedia productions, among others, cost us to do – why shouldn’t our clients?

We want to use this space to let you in on this “revolutionary” concept, which is part of our personal and business philosophy, along with the creative stuff we love to do. We’re brand new in this space, but we’ve been helping companies get off the ground with our parent company, MasterPlans.com. We believe that our startup or SME clients who work with us will see how we can help with other aspects of their business image. But not only that, we want to know what you think about the topics we’ll write about. If you see something that piques your interest, be it Internet advertising, multimedia or web design, or even how we like our new digs, don’t be shy, reply.

We here at MasterPlans know that writing a business plan isn’t easy. Establishing what information an investor or lender really wants to see along with determining what elements are extraneous can be mind-boggling. This week, MasterLesson clears up the controversy over the SWOT analysis’ place in a business plan – and whether it has one at all. Given that it’s a question that has even stumped some our clients with MBAs, it is a point worth considering.

So what exactly is a SWOT analysis? What purpose does it theoretically serve in a business plan?

A SWOT analysis is a planning tool that analyzes the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats inherent in a business. The aim of a SWOT analysis is assess both positive and negative internal and external factors. For an established company, it can help managers build upon strengths, correct any weaknesses, exploit new opportunities in their industry or marketplace, and avoid debilitating threats. In theory, this can be very helpful for an investor or loan officer to see, because it shows the entrepreneur has performed due diligence.

We here at MasterPlans see it differently, however. And feedback from investors and lenders has confirmed our hunch… so:

Why doesn’t Masterplans include the SWOT analysis?

While a SWOT can be a powerful operational tool (for instance, by showing an oil company the benefits of investing in alternative fuels after a hurricane destroys offshore platforms), it is often redundant, elementary, and ultimately irrelevant when placed in the context of a business plan.

The content of our plans present the same information, but in a more pointed and, ultimately, relevant fashion. The competitive comparison always lays out what the other companies operating in your sphere are doing, and the competitive edge is a succinct appraisal of advantages and points of difference. In addition, our market needs, market segmentation, and marketing strategy all present the same information.

A SWOT has also become a cliché in the business world. Angel investors (and especially venture capitalists) have been in business for years, if not decades. How many overly earnest SWOT Analyses have they seen in the thousands of business plans produced by equally earnest business students?

Wouldn’t an investor see far more value in a thoughtful marketing strategy that laid out a specific timeline of activities that demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of a market? Or an in-depth market analysis where every potential competitor’s strength and weakness was evaluated? We think so.