Anyone here run an Internet Cafe or offer Internet services at your shop?

['putertutor]

Cornerstone is accurate about internet cafes in poorer countries, but there are a few markets left here in the states. In very rural areas (<5000 people) this concept is still a viable one. Where I live (Montana) LTE will not be implemented for years most likely, and in some areas DSL is not even offered. Libraries in towns this size might have, at best, 6-8 computers which fill up fast. Now I know that the number of potential customers is much lower than what you might see in a big city, but I know of several internet cafes doing well in these areas.

I don't have a storefront, but I had been tinkering around with the idea of opening one, with conference rooms for the local businesses. Some of the existing business offer conference rooms (some for a fee, some for free) but none have any technology involved, just a room with a nice table ad a whiteboard. Which is, of course, the biggest hurdle to overcome - buying all the hardware. I've run the numbers 6 ways from Sunday, and it never comes up as feasible.

 

[colonydata]

Libraries in towns this size might have, at best, 6-8 computers which fill up fast.

im not sure if you are in a more rural area than i am, but im not sure the library computer crowd is the cliental i would want to attract. i would honestly be afraid that the library computer crowd would scare away my more lucrative customers.

 

[StableSolutions]

One of the things mentioned early on was computer labs in the college campus... Most colleges are starting to ban things such as facebook (Yes it's on your smartphone I know...) and any type of gaming from their labs.

As far as the health inspectors and all that, dealing with fresh food is a waste of time. If you sold little-debbies, honey buns and candy bars and provided free coffee to anybody "renting a seat" then I doubt you would have any issues at all. It is the same idea there as having a vending machine in your lobby really... (minus the vending machine...).

Internet cafe as a standalone business? Not worth it... I used to go to a gaming cafe for counter-strike and lan parties and we would pay $3.00 / hr to play there, the guy had 32 machines setup so if he was renting out all of his machines for any given amount of time... The most he could be making is $96.00/hr... Needless to say it went out of business within a year or so... I would not suggest this as a sole business, but as an additional revenue with a computer business on the side... not a bad idea, except for the riff-raff that somebody mentioned and the additional liability that you incur (kiddie-p viewers, other malicious internet activities etc...)

What I have thought about doing is selling custom-made gaming pc's and I want to have a "gaming room" where people can pay to play and also sell those desktops (play before you pay also...) but... that's many moons from now since I'm working as a mobile tech anyways.

 

['putertutor]

im not sure if you are in a more rural area than i am, but im not sure the library computer crowd is the cliental i would want to attract. i would honestly be afraid that the library computer crowd would scare away my more lucrative customers.

Well, at about 1,500 people in the 'city', less than 10,000 in the entire county, and not a single stop light in that entire county, I'm pretty sure I can out-rural almost anyone in this forum.

But, you are right, the library crowd is not exactly my demographic, nor is it the demographic of the successful internet cafes I have seen. The library crowd tends to be elementary to high school kids with zero $. I think the fact that an internet cafe charges a fee would generally limit those with no money. That is not to say you would be getting the cream of the financial crop, but still, there may be money to be made. Walmart seems to do ok.

 

[jdpetrov]

I don't see how that could work as a side-business to your main computer repair business. It's nice to think of how I could monetize an otherwise costly 50 or 100 meg Charter internet connection, but even if I just had some tables, chairs, and vending machines I just wouldn't want people to "hang out" at my shop unless I could get them to pay me for internet access.

And how many people would pay me for access to a 100-meg internet connection when they can get 10-15 for free wifi access at the local library? Besides, I'd have to put one heck of a gateway internet filter on that connection.