Mgt 521 - Is Apple My Company

Is Apple My Company

Victoria Mabee

MGT 521

September 9, 2011

Dr. Thomas M. Woodruff

Is Apple My Company

This paper will contain a SWOT analysis of Apple Inc. Apple is a large company and has been operating for a long time, and it has had ups and downs, but they are still going and do not look as they are going to be giving up anytime soon. I will determine if investing in Apple as a mutual fund manager would be a good decision. Also I will talk about the internal and external stakeholders and their needs and if those needs are being met. If those needs are not being met why.

I want to start off with a little bit of information about Apple Inc. Apple is one of the greatest product development companies in history, and it was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. Apples most notorious product is the Macintosh personal computer that was very impressive. The company has failed on many times or chosen not to develop industry wide platforms. Steve Jobs is a great Chief executive officer (CEO) because he only wants to create in a true manner great products and not just good enough product. Because of that Apple does not put out tons of products at one time. One of Apple's greatest strengths is its ability to focus on just a few things at a time.

Apple is a leading company in the technology market right as of the present time but will this continue? I have conducted a SWOT analysis of Apple to determine if investing in Apple is a good idea. As a mutual fund manager they have to make right decisions that will a have great return on the money invested. Taking all the precautions and doing your research in the company that they plan on putting money into is very important. Knowing where and how the money is being used is something they should know before investing. A SWOT analysis can help them determine if they are choosing the right company.

Some strengths that Apple has are: a strong CEO Steve Jobs, and they have great ideas and a good working relationship with their employees. Possessing a strong CEO to steer the company in the right direction is very important. When there is a CEO that is just a figure and does not contribute any ideas then a company may not move in the direction that it could potentially be. Having great ideas and the employees willing to help make those ideas a reality can move a company forward. Apple has great products and they know this.

Some weaknesses of Apple are less features available for Apple technology. They also have problems in making design and service improvements that keep up with the advances in technology. Being behind the power curb when it comes to technology can be a big problem for a company trying to excel in technology. Having less features available can be a big company downfall. One thing that comes to mind is Microsoft Office. Right now Apple has its own version but it is not the same. More consumers have PCs and Microsoft Office is a big part of that so not having that technology with Apple is a big problem.

Opportunities are the strong hold of all companies. Apple needs to know what opportunities are out there and then they need to know how to grab a hold of them. Intergrading new software and technology is one of Apple can grab a hold of. Also marketing is another strong hold. Knowing how, who, what, when and where, it comes to marketing can make a big difference when trying to grow and promote a company.

All companies have threats and Apple is no exception to threats. One of the biggest threats ties back into its weaknesses. Software applications were written for PCs only. That is a big problem because many consumers need that software to move forward with whatever it may be that they are doing. For example Microsoft is a big threat and they have a good platform and almost all the PC operating systems use Microsoft. One way to corner that market is Apple needs to expand into that direction and start to enlist other companies that are creating great platforms. If they were to open up their market then I think they would knock a big threat out. Another threat is marketing, not knowing how to market your product could potentially be a problem.

After performing a SWOT analysis I would greatly consider investing in Apple. They are working hard to improve the software and technology so that they become a more marketable company. If Apple could produce a great platform and then a great product at the same time I think they would move above the competition. Knowing if Apple would start producing great platforms then I think their stock would start to rise. I also think if their product was more financially accessible to the masses then their stock would rise as well. One thing about Apple stock is that when you invest in it you are investing in a 35% increases over each year. At this time if that does not happen then what should you do? Still hang on and wait out the low times or just pull out before you lose everything. Making an investment in Apple would be a move