Business Solutions

A dynamic lean business planning system shortens the road to the ultimate goal through the maximization of process efficiencies and their ceaseless evolution.

Products and services are the lifeblood of your business, and therefore stand to reason, one of the most significantly important elements of your business plan. Think of it as your best chance to clearly explain your products/services including the identification of their most important features and benefits, and don’t forget to discuss specific needs and problems in the market they directly address.

It goes without saying the level of importance that your products and services be highly-noticeable when compared to your competitors. Effective writing will provide you the clear advantage that’s essential.

Product overview is obviously important if you are selling a product, your reader will most assuredly want to know what the product is, exactly what it does, and certainly its features and benefits, important to the buying decision process. Strongly consider including pictures and images, especially if you feel they would help the reader get a clearer picture and better understanding of your product.

Discuss characteristics including its size, shape, color, cost, quality, design, capabilities, and applicable technological life-span and any patent, trademark or copyright protection. A brief explanation of the production process, any materials required, and the type of labor required.

Service overview is important if you offer your customers a service including a clear concise explanation about what that service is, how it works, and what specific problems the service in particular addresses in the marketplace. The area your operations will cover? Just what makes your service so different and unique? Are there any materials or equipment requirements to begin operations? What are the days and hours for regular business operations?

Clearly and succinctly explain the complete steps of your service process, and the many important benefits you offer your clients, especially benefits unique to your business. You should write this section from the customer or client perspective, to be sure enough information is included to satisfy an outsider’s driving need to fully and completely understand your service, and most importantly without boring them with trivial detail, after trivial detail.

As with everything else, there are mistakes you want to avoid while writing and preparing the Product and Service descriptions. Let’s examine a few we find in the product and service description section.

Failing to identify and clearly describe the benefits of the product or service, and instead focusing on only the features. A feature is a feature, so be sure and explain what the benefits of the features are and why it’s important to purchase the product or service.

Descriptive language that is too technical goes way over most reader’s heads, especially with too many industry specific words or phrases that confuse or loose readers. Be sure and write in common descriptive language that is easily understood by the most readers. Sometimes pictures and images work well.

Never mentioning the specific problems the product/service addresses and how that problem is resolved. Don’t forget the reader is looking for what makes the product/service special and needs to know exactly problems are solved and needs fulfilled.

Assuming anything, but especially that an improved product/service will easily “sell itself” with no problem. Never assume anything, particularly that products/services sell themselves. Far from it, buyers in the market have to be told they need to take action to purchase, and why.

Descriptions and terms that is too broad and general for the product/service. The rule is to be focused, clear, and concise with the descriptive language and specific terminology.

Failure to include important product evaluation or analysis prepared for you by third-parties. It’s difficult to understand how important product evaluations can be either forgotten or ignored, but it happens. Third-party evaluations and analysis add value to the product and credibility to the lean business planning process, don’t forget to include.

Underestimating or misunderstanding the extreme importance of taking steps to protect your product/service. Intellectual property protection is critical to the core products and services offered with exclusivity by many businesses, without which would have never been able to even startup, let alone be successful.