Why You Should Start Your Strategy with a PESTEL Analysis

Start your business strategy with a PESTEL analysis to assess external factors and build a strong foundation for SWOT and strategic planning.

Why start with a PESTEL?

When you start a new project on StratNavApp, it asks you what the purpose is.

Project Purpose selector

If you pick the first option, for a new strategy for an existing business, then the system will suggest you start with a PESTEL analysis.

The system will suggest you start with a PESTEL Analysis

This is because many established businesses become too inwardly focused.

Starting with a PESTEL analysis means you start with an external, outside-in focus.

You can, of course, start wherever you want. Click on the Strategy Board to see the full range of models and frameworks which StratNavApp integrates, and choose wherever you’d like to start.

Click on the Strategy Board

But let’s go back to the PESTEL analysis and start there.

You can easily type an insight into any one of the 6 areas in the PESTEL, and then press ENTER to add it.

If you need a little inspiration, you can also ask the StratBot AI to suggest some insights which you can review, amend and add or ignore as you see fit.

Click on the AI

Once you‘re done, you can download an image of the PESTEL which you can easily include in a PowerPoint Presentation or other software. Just click on the button indicated below.

Click on the download as image button

Moving from PESTEL to SWOT analysis

But the system will suggest that you move on to do a SWOT analysis.

PESTEL to SWOT

You’ll notice that the system has already categorised the external trends from your PESTEL Analysis as Opportunities or Threats.

PESTEL on SWOT

That’s just one of the ways in which the system keeps all of the different aspects of your strategy in sync.

You can easily drag and drop items between the categories if you think it has miscategorised anything.

You’re now in a position to add your organisation’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the Opportunities and Threats it faces. The PESTEL has provided you with a better context for doing your SWOT analysis.

Rounding out your analysis using other tools

You can make use of any of the other tools in the analysis section of StratNavApp to help you to complete your understanding of your organisation and the market in which it operates.

These include

Filtering your insights to get to the crux

A completed analysis can quickly become quite busy.

You can click on any insight on the SWOT to open the detailed screen behind it.

Amongst the things that you can do are to set how much impact you think this insight could have on the business, and how certain you are that it will have that impact, by simply dragging the sliders.

Impact and Certainty sliders

Once you’ve set those for all of your insights, you can use the filter tool to zoom in and out of your SWOT to help you focus in on the core of the challenge or opportunity your strategy must address.

SWOT Filter

Where to go next

When you’re happy with your SWOT and other strategic analysis, you’re ready to move on to setting your strategic direction, armed with all of your new insights.

Click on the Strategy Board to see where to go next.

Don’t forget that StratNavApp is packed with helpful (1) tips, (2) recommendations, (3) help and even (4) an AI Chatbot to help you on every step of your journey towards better strategy development and execution.

Types of help

StratNavApp integrates all the tools you need to help you develop and execute better business strategies in one place. And with plenty of contextual help and AI support you'll be up and running in no time, whether you're a relative beginner or an expert strategist. With free and paid plans available, why not try it right now?


Everytime you share anything about StratNavApp with someone else, you help them to develop and execute better business strategies, and you help to support us and our ability to continue to make the platform even better for you. So it really is a win-win!

If any part of this text is not clear to you, please contact our support team for assistance.


About the author

Chris C Fox is a strategy consultant and founder of StratNavApp.com. He helps consultants scale their impact, supports C-suite leaders in executing enterprise-wide strategies, and equips founders to grow and adapt with confidence.
👉 Book a strategy call or try StratNavApp.com for free.


Published: 2024-10-02  | 
Updated: 2025-04-03

© StratNavApp.com 2025

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