A
male
age
30-35,
*hawn E C
writes:ok, so i have a college matewe are both pretty good mates now although not known each other over a yearbut we are doing the same course and classes in college and he asks me over an online messenger."after college would you like to start a businis together?"i agreed as it sounds a good ideawe then started speaking about what we could do the businis on. we came up with the idea of an "Internet Café"does anybody know or have experience on this sort of job?how much should we charge customers per hour?what sort of bills will be needed to pay?etc...please reply with help?thankyou Reply to this Question
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Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, Emilysanswers +, writes (17 November 2008):
Sounds great but is there anyone in your town who would actually use an internet cafe?
Would they all be 16 and come in and buy 1 coffee between 10 of them and take up all the tables for 3 hours?
Go out on the street and do a survey, also ask people how much they'd pay for internet access when they can get it free in costa coffee. I think you'd find it has to be more about coffee and cake and good food than internet since wi-fi is so often free.
Then figure out all your costs: rent, business rates, electric bills, insurances (buildings, contents, public liability), staffing, a really fast broadband connection, food and coffee, paying back the loan you had to take out to start up.
Plus all your start up costs, decoration, furniture, computers, security shutters, kitchen equipment, coffee machines, tills, some kind of software to control the internet access.
Put together a business plan.
Go and get a business management course under your belt, get a job in a coffee shop for a while to see how it all works, get your basic food hygiene certificates so you can make food legally.
These websites will help you.
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/Main%20Site%20v2/14-30%20and%20need%20help/start%20up%20in%20business.asp
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk&target=http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/
If you are at college why not go and talk to a business studies teacher about it all.
Good Luck!! xx
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (17 November 2008): Hi there, good luck with your enterprise.
It's not something easy to start a bussines, so if you'll do it, get in mind that it might take a long time before you start actually seeing money.
Before you start doing business with someone, be sure you trust him, you get along well and communicate well, get references and make sure he's the kind of person you want to do business with.
Now that you know you want to go for an internet cafe, you need to study the maket, that way you'll know where to place it. You should find a place where poeple need internet but do'n have it (if there are too many intenet cafes around or everyone has internet in their house or work, you should find another place.
As for the charging, there are many tools online that can help you for little money. Type internet cafe software in a browser and your find many. Get to know the options befores you buy and choose the one you understand better and siuts your needs and pockets best, don't just choose the one with the most features (you might end up using less than half) or buy the cheapest straight away).
Make sure you have enough money for everything needed: equipment, rent, services (light, telephone and internet bills), employees, some kind of security system, maybe a marketing budget.
Before you start set clear rules and what happens if someone breakes them for you and your partner, keep all the money things and whatever else you consider necesary writen, signed and with copies for both of you.
Make sure you communicate well and can cope with pressure, because starting a business can be very stressful and can damage the best of relationships.
Around where I live, the charge is usually $1 usd an hour, 10c the b/n print and 70 c the colour print.
Make sure you use compatible harware, a good antivirus, and the most common programs like a word processor, something for sheets and presentations and messenger and make sure the software is original.
You might even want to buy an insurance policy in the case of a robbery or accident.
I wish you a lot of sucess.
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