Opening Internet Cafe

[Avicarno]

Hey guys ive been thinking hard and i think that i am going to open a internet cafe when i leave school. I thought it would be a good idea. I need to get more details of things now like how many computers should i open with?
so i came on here to ask you lot.

If you was going to go into a internet cafe what would you expect?

please tell me sebsable things. Many Thankx

i have this little image to help me how i would conect everything etc....

 

[Zidio]

erm info on where abouts roughly id say you would need at least 20 pc`s fully protected and things disabled on them and you would need the have the cafe bit to other wise it wudnt be cafe :P depending where u are you could get a T3 line or 10 mb broadband.

 

[Opeth]

the start up and running costs are going to be absolutely astronomical, i'm amazed that internet cafes break even and im sure most dont.

 

[Zidio]

the start up and running costs are going to be absolutely astronomical, i'm amazed that internet cafes break even and im sure most dont.

seems as its a free thing unless hes going to charge peaple to use the pc`s then i dont see him gettin customers unless he opens a beta kind of thng for a month then makes it a pound an hour or something? i shoudnt think he would make his money back selling coffee and Tea and sweets ect lol. dunno how do we know he/she is not a million air ^_^

 

[LeoCrasher]

If you was going to go into a internet cafe what would you expect?

please tell me sebsable things. Many Thankx

i have this little image to help me how i would conect everything etc....

The key is WHERE you open it, and WHAT your selling. Basically you need to determine if there is a need for your service in the area you wish to open in.

Since pretty much most of the UK has internet access at good speeds, your doubtably going to be able to sell 'internet access' without any sort of niché. What makes your service different to having a machine at home?

Theres only one true cybercafe in my city. Its positioned next to an apartment area which doesn't have internet access (its for the unfortunates of society). Needless to say that place is used a lot by them, but they're very haphazard customers who don't spend much time there. This particular cafe gets it steady revenue for having a strong emphasis on multiplayer games. The machines there are very high spec's graphics powerhouses, with veryvery fast leased line connections.

Other good ideas I've seen are bars with computer/gamesconsole terminals on tables, pool halls with slimline machines around the outside of the room - so people playing in teams have something to do while they wait, and the resale of wireless mesh networks connected to a leased line.

/Leo

 

[CraiG^]

LANs!!!!!!! This is an veent where people from all over UK come to play a few games together. Have competitions to win hardware etc, usually u would get charged around £30 per person and sometimes thats with accomodation. Theres 1 that i know is an internet cafe which does LANs i might be going to 1 named Limbo Lan, Limbo is an internet cafe in nottingham .

I cba to post much more atm as im tired

 

[Ragnar]

http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=cybercafes

Offering CS games is the first thing i would do, second CS and Quake maybe etc.

As Leo said, most people have net at home, but you can't have all your friends at home to play a game of CS and have a chat while your at it.

 

[Blaminator]

There are loads of internet cafes where i live, the only one that's remotely popular is next to the cinema and chemist, people can get their movies, internet and medicine all at once :O, also theres a car park

 

[Avicarno]

I most prob will end up opening a internet cafe. i was thinking like having 10/20comps to start with. Then have like chill out cafe bit but can still take food n drink to comps, but any damage then payments for repairs or w/e. But
on the other hand what i wanted to do was build computers n laptops and fix them. any advice on that?

 

[Gamedude]

Food and drinks at computers = big no. The amount you'll end up spending on keyboard will be ridiculous.

Was gonna point out what Gimp said. Only realised that a few weeks back, and I'm addicted to CS (thanks CraiGe :P).

Setting up a internet café could be a good idea, it just depends [as has been said] on where you set it up and how much you're thinking of charging. High streets would be the best idea imo, but you'd have to think about it carefully.

Building computers and laptops isn't really worth it unless you can afford advertising (or you could rely on word of mouth or just the Yellow Pages [and other crap like that]) and have quite a bit of time to earn [sometimes] next to nothing. Repairing is the same, people wont always need something fixed in your area. If you're thinking of repairing up to [for example] a ten mile radius, travel costs will be a pain in the ass.

It's up to you what you do, but if you decide on building / repairing, make sure you have another job so you don't go broke.

Pebble.

 

[Avicarno]

So what does everyone think i should do? Im guna price up some cheap computers and see what turns out.

 

[Far]

you need...

a room.
10+ computers
10+ of every software you use
high internet connection
staff
desks/chairs
the ability to know how to setup something that large, and the ability to manage it.

how old are u btw, u said when u leave school, so u cant b much older than 15? and do u actually think u have enough money to set it up? + the time to run it if your still going into further eductation.

something like this isnt something u can just do because u like playing games u know.

 

[Avicarno]

i know that and i am 15. need to start thinking tho dont i. I am trying to find a job now something to do to earn me some money.

 

[Far]

id expect ude need to be atleast 18 to accept the bills you'll recieve. unless your going to do it through your parents, which wldnt b very proffessional.

 

[Avicarno]

naa not through parents i wud w8. i cant exactly hav this has a job can i?

 

[Far]

u can have it as a job, working for someone else. but at the age of 15 you cant exactly have it as a business. not unless you've got £100,000 to spare.

 

[CraiG^]

Thats the best idea, get a job working for another CyberCafe which is close to the type you want to open and look around abit, ask alot of questions. Will give you expierence and knowledge

 

[Ragnar]

u can have it as a job, working for someone else. but at the age of 15 you cant exactly have it as a business. not unless you've got £100,000 to spare.

Well, it could be a good idea to start something on the internet like webhosting. www.neopian.co.uk is run by a 15 year old student ^^.

P.S yes it's not working at the moment, they are updating the whole website.

 

[Far]

webhosting isnt the same as owning a shop though is it? lol. i thik he wanted to b able to get all his m8s in one room and play cs.

best idea imo is fnd a cyber cafe to work at, then if u still like it in say 3-4 years, think about starting your own.

 

[Avicarno]

some good pointers there. Maybe i shouldgo to an Internet Cafe but i have no idea where there is one.I dont think there is any point in me travelling to Nottingham Or Derby just to go in a internetcafe. I want somthing to do . I like the idea of selling webspace but how would i go about it?