As the popularity of using computers for everything continues to increase, people who do not have their own computers, businessmen who travel, and those who go on vacation need to use computers more and more. An Internet cafe can be a great solution for you to combine your passion for technology and your skills to earn money in a profitable and enjoyable way.
Steps
Step 1. Come up with an idea of how you want to develop your Internet café, the different services and facilities you want to offer and the audience you would like to attract
Put everything in writing.
Step 2. Find out the viability of your plan in the area where you want to open your Internet cafe
Find out specifically the demand for an Internet cafe and the competition in the area and estimate how much money you will need for the initial investment.
Step 3. Create a complete business plan
List every detail of the Internet cafe, from the computers you will need to buy to the type of atmosphere you want to achieve, as well as the long-term operational costs. Incorporate the results of your previous market study and explain how your coffee will stay afloat over time. Make sure you define things clearly and in a way that anyone can understand, especially those who are unfamiliar with technical jargon.
Step 4. Find the investment money, whether it be from your own savings, an investment partner, or a bank
Step 5. Find a suitable location for your business
This should attract both casual clients and more stable clients. Locating your Internet cafe near a school can attract young customers. You can also locate it near other cafes or stores to take advantage of the traffic of people who may be interested in your services.
Step 6. Request the necessary permits
Find out in the delegation (city hall, municipality) of your locality the permits required to open a business. Hire the services of a legal advisor if you don't know how to complete the forms. It is better to pay a little and be calm, than to save those payments and then have much more expensive complications for the business.
Step 7. Choose an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for your Internet cafe connection
This will most likely need to be of a higher standard and sturdier than a single family configuration. Negotiate with the Internet service provider, as they may offer special offers for businesses, especially Internet cafes (it is important that you find out if you will need a static IP address for network services (LAN) and / or other types of programs).
Step 8. Design the distribution of the space according to the chosen location, if possible, hire a professional designer
Work with the designer to understand the special requirements for an Internet cafe, for example, preventing the preparation and consumption of beverages and meals from damaging computers. Include an electrician in the design process to ensure that the infrastructure can support the load of all the electrical appliances in your cafe.
Step 9. Purchase all the necessary equipment according to your plan, such as computers, network cable, routers, printers, cable compression clips, and RJ-45 connectors
Buy the items you consider necessary for the preparation of drinks and meals such as plates, cups, microwave and conventional ovens.
Step 10. Build your Internet cafe
We refer to all necessary construction, remodeling, electrical installation, network configuration, computer and software installation, security system installation, and any additional services such as food and beverage preparation.
Step 11. Hire and train the employees you will need
Not only do they need to have some technical training and knowledge of the internet, but they also need to be friendly and easy to work with.
Step 12. Advertise your neighborhood Internet cafe through flyers, local newspaper advertising, word of mouth, and whatever other marketing strategy you deem appropriate to reach your target market
Step 13. Manage your software effectively
Use free software alternatives such as Linux instead of Windows or Mac OS and the OpenOffice.org suite of programs instead of Microsoft Office. Consider using live CDs without hard drives (dumb terminals) in computers to reduce maintenance.
Step 14. Listen and value the evaluations that your clients give you
If they want more bandwidth, ask the service provider. If they complain about spyware that impairs the performance of the services (make dumb terminals) or hire an expert to solve the problems, if you do not already have a network administrator capable of making these adjustments.
Step 15. This is also an opportunity to expand your business to other areas such as color printing, photocopying or organizing game competitions, depending on the demand for these types of activities in the area that has your café
Video. By using this service, some information could be shared with YouTube
Advice
- Always remember to go one step further in favor of your clients. The customer is your first priority.
- Your client's job is to pay and your job is to serve them. Make sure they are satisfied and that you can answer any of their questions.
- Continue to evaluate your performance as a business and stay on top of what works and what doesn't.
- Anticipate and adapt the local conditions.
Warnings
- Look for a good program that protects your computers from viruses or uses them live or autonomous.
- Install a firewall on your router if you don't have one to protect your network from worms, viruses, and other external attacks.
- Install some type of network traffic controller, which does not invade the privacy of your customers but controls that there is no excessive use of bandwidth.
- If copyright violations are a problem for you, inform your clients about what is legal and what is not. Consider blocking peer-to-peer ports if things have gotten out of hand.
- Use free software instead of installing illegal copies of software on your computers, otherwise it could lead to lawsuits.