10 examples of capital goods to ensure the success of your business

Many items can be both capital goods and consumer goods. The difference is how the items are used.

For example, commercial aircraft are capital goods because they are used by airlines to produce a service: transportation. An airplane used by private pilots for weekend hobbies is a consumer good. That same type of plane used for a sightseeing business is a capital good.

Another example is trucks and cars: businesses use them as capital goods, but families use them as consumer goods. Buildings also double as capital and consumer goods—the former if they're turned into a factory, office, or warehouse, and the latter if they are used for housing.

Computers are capital goods if they are used by a business but not if they are used by a family. The same goes for any ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers. If they are for commercial use only, they are capital goods.