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WhY MUST I MASTER REPORT WRITINg? 65
newspapers, magazines, libraries, electronic databases, sales figures, the
Internet, and so forth.
Situation Analysis
This section of the plan should provide an overview of where your firm or
organization is, both externally and internally. Furthermore, it needs to
forecast trends in the dynamic environment in which it operates. You will
cover many, or perhaps all, of the following elements in your situation
analysis.
Company
• Product line/Product category (NAICS/SIC, which are
standardized industry codes, are often helpful to use in these
reports� You’ll find these industry codes at http://www�naics�com/
search�htm)
• Image in the market
• Technology and experience
• Culture
• Goals
Collaborators
• Distributors
• Suppliers
• Alliances
Customers
• Market size and growth
• Market segments
• Benefits that consumers seek, both tangible and intangible
• Motivation behind purchase; value drivers, benefits versus
costs
• Decision maker or decision-making unit
• Retail channel—where does the consumer actually purchase
the product?
