### Can you summarize this answer briefly to put it in powerpoint? . . ANSWER: Competitive advantages are those attributes of a firm that make it stand out from the competitors. It could be exceptional customer service, some intellectual property, lower cost of operations, brand image, and the like. It enables a firm to attain greater profit margins than its competitors and thereby increase the value of the firm's shares in the market. Competitive advantages should be difficult to imitate by competitors or else it will be lost in no time. . Fierce competition in today's business world has made firms ultra-vigilant of competitor's moves and strategies. Once a particular attribute is copied by a rival, the firm loses its competitive advantage instantaneously. This is why competitive temporary. gas considered the only. . SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. SWOT analysis enables a firm to assess its current position in the market and revise its strategy accordingly. Strengths are an internal attribute that an firm possesses. It could be access to crucial raw materials not available to others. Strengths are advantages that a firm has over its competitor's Weaknesses are disadvantages that reduce a firm's competitiveness over other firms in the industry. Poor brand image and lack of resources for advertising constitute weaknesses of a firm. Opportunities are favorable factors in the external environment of the firm that must be capitalized upon to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. The signing of a new trade agreement with a trade partner could mean more opportunities for exporting. . Threats are external to a firm and represent unfavorable changes/events in the business environment. A flood, for instance, has the potential to disrupt the supply of key inputs essential for the working of the firm. . BARCLAYS SWOT ANALYSIS: . Strengths: - Spreading of risk by having a presence in about 50 countries. . - Excellent operational efficiency owing to well-diversified services . - Huge financial resources due to proven expertise in the banking sector

Weaknesses: - High turnover rate of top executives -Dysfunctional work culture . Opportunities: - As a leader in digital technology in the banking sector, Barclays has an opportunity to reduce costs by employing digitization - increasing presence in emerging markets particularly in Africa. - Reducing investment banking . Threats: - Apple has entered the payments market and looks like a promising player - Interest rates have been falling, thereby threatening to decrease profit margins.