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Poster

External: The Economy In a bad economy, even a well-run business may not be able to survive. If customers lose their jobs or take jobs that can barely support them, they'll spend less on sports, recreation, gifts, luxury goods and new cars. High interest rates on credit cards can discourage customers from spending. You can't control the economy, but understanding it can help you spot threats and opportunities.

External: The Economy In a bad economy, even a well-run business may not be able to survive. If customers lose their jobs or take jobs that can barely support them, they'll spend less on sports, recreation, gifts, luxury goods and new cars. High interest rates on credit cards can discourage customers from spending. You can't control the economy, but understanding it can help you spot threats and opportunities.

External: Competition from other Businesses Unless your company is unique, you'll have to deal with competition. When you start your company, you fight against established, more experienced businesses in the same industry. After you establish yourself, you'll eventually have to face newer firms that try to slice away your customers. Competition can make or break you – look at how many brick-and-mortar bookstores crashed and burned competing with Amazon.

Internal: Money and Resources Even in a great economy, lack of money can determine whether your company survives or dies. When your cash resources are too limited, it affects the number of people you can hire, the quality of your equipment, and the amount of advertising you can buy. If you're flush with cash, you have a lot more flexibility to grow and expand your business or endure an economic downturn.

Internal: Employees and Managers Unless you're a one-person show, your employees are a major part of your company's internal environment. Your employees have to be good at their jobs, whether it's writing code or selling products to strangers. Managers have to be good at handling lower-level employees and overseeing other parts of the internal environment. Even if everyone's capable and talented, internal politics and conflicts can wreck a good company.