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Products and Services Section of a Business Plan

By Priya Raman·June 7, 2026·5 min read

Key takeaways

This section describes what you sell and the value it delivers — not just a feature list.
Include the offering, the customer problem it solves, pricing model, competitive edge, lifecycle, and any IP or sourcing.
Lead with customer benefit, then features; put technical detail and photos in the appendix.
Make sure pricing here matches the revenue assumptions in your financial model.

What the products and services section covers — value to the customer, not just a feature list.

The products and services section of a business plan describes what you sell and the value it delivers to customers. It goes beyond a feature list: it explains the problem each offering solves, how you price it, what gives it an edge, and where it is in its lifecycle. It usually follows the company description and the market analysis. Here is what to include, with an example.

What the products and services section is

This section turns "what does this business actually do" into specifics. A reader — especially a lender or investor — wants to understand exactly what a customer buys, why they buy it, and why they buy it from you rather than a competitor. The focus is on customer benefit and commercial viability, not technical detail for its own sake.

What to include

What you offer. A clear description of each product or service, in plain language.
The problem it solves. The customer need or pain point each offering addresses — the reason it sells.
Pricing model. How you charge (one-time, subscription, hourly, tiered) and where you sit versus competitors.
Competitive advantage. What makes your offering better or different — quality, speed, price, expertise, or a proprietary method.
Lifecycle and roadmap. Whether the product is launched, in development, or planned, and what is coming next.
Intellectual property and sourcing. Any patents, trademarks, or trade secrets, and key suppliers or how the product is produced, where relevant.

Need this written so it sells the value, not just the features?

We write the products and services section to connect what you sell to why customers buy, and build the plan and financials around it. Get a quote scoped to your business.

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Products and services example

A concise version reads like this: "Brightleaf Bookkeeping offers monthly bookkeeping and cash-flow reporting for service businesses with $250K–$2M in revenue, priced as a flat monthly subscription from $450 to $1,200 by transaction volume. Owners in this range typically cannot justify a full-time bookkeeper but outgrow DIY software; our service fills that gap with a dedicated bookkeeper and a monthly cash-flow review most competitors do not include. All work is delivered through our secure client portal. A tax-prep coordination add-on launches in Q3." Notice it names the offering, the customer problem, the pricing model, the edge, and the roadmap.

Tips for writing it well

Lead with the customer benefit, then the features — a reader cares what your product does for someone before how it works. Keep deeply technical material out of the main flow; put specifications, diagrams, or product photos in the appendix. Make sure the pricing here matches the revenue assumptions in your financial model, since a reader will cross-check them. The order every section follows is laid out in the business plan format guide, or have our business plan writing service handle the whole document.

Frequently asked questions

What are products and services in a business plan?+

It is the section that describes exactly what your business sells and the value it delivers: each offering, the customer problem it solves, how it's priced, what gives it an edge, and where it is in its lifecycle. The focus is customer benefit and commercial viability.

How do you write the products and services section?+

Describe each offering in plain language, explain the customer problem it solves, state your pricing model and competitive advantage, and note the product lifecycle and any IP or key suppliers. Lead with the benefit to the customer, then the features.

What is the difference between products and services?+

Products are tangible goods a customer buys and owns; services are intangible work performed for the customer, such as consulting or repairs. Many businesses sell both. In a business plan, both are described the same way: what it is, the problem it solves, and its price.

Should I include pricing in the products and services section?+

Yes. Explaining your pricing model and where you sit relative to competitors helps a reader judge commercial viability. Keep it consistent with the revenue assumptions in your financial projections, because lenders and investors will cross-check the two.

About the author

Priya Raman

Lead Business Plan Strategist

Priya spent more than a decade in small-business commercial lending and credit analysis, structuring and reviewing hundreds of loan files before she moved into advisory work. She writes Planypals' business plan and SBA guides from the lender's side of the desk, because she has sat there. A credit committee wants a clean use of funds, cash flow that comfortably covers the debt, and projections it can actually believe. Those are the things she helps founders get right.

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