Internet Cafe Business Guide

At first I’ve got no idea how I want my internet cafe shop to look like. To solve this case, I went on spying to other internet shops around to gather ideas. Most of them have all glass doors out front either sliding or push/pull mechanism. With regards to tables, some have their tables constructed in an extended-style while some are individually constructed. Even the lazier internet cafe owners just bought themselves read-made ones which I think are more expensive. If I were you, I’ll go for the first option which is have them constructed manually. I opted for individual tables instead of the elongated style. My reason? To modify space easily and the ease of moving them around. I had them for just 800 pesos each.
A typical table is like 4-5 feet high. To check this, simply sit on a char and estimate the measurement using a ruler. Tell your carpenter or whoever is making your tables to put a simple horizontal foot-rest at the bottom. Then make sure that the keyboard and mouse would rightly fit on the flat where the future customer would lay his/her hands on to surf the cyberspace. I also recommend that you put the CPU on top of the table instead of right beside the monitor. Reason? So that the eyes of the customer won’t divert towards the CPU and won’t do anything stupid in it. They’ll just simply concentrate on the monitor,keyboard and mouse.

As with chairs, it’s up to you if you want to start out first with monoblock chairs(I did) or you could go straight with comfortable but pricey ones.

There should be a seperate table for the cashier. Either you have it manually constructed or just buy a ready-made. As for me,I was already lazy for it so I just opted for a ready-made. It has drawers with locks where I’ll put the money and some important files. A computer should also be placed here because that’s where you or your employee sits to manage the billing and also a printer and a scanner should also be placed right on that table. The modem and the router/switch hub should also be near this table. If they no longer fit on the table, you can just improvise by placing a small piece of plywood punched against the wall beside your table and then place your modem and router/switch hub. When a technician from your preferred Internet Service Provider(ISP) arrives and asks you where to put the modem,tell him to place it right near your table.

Your floor should be covered with thick vinyl tiles—not the roll-up one that easily gets teared. Thick vinyl tiles are not just durable. you could also mop it easily and sweep it with ease.

A good electrical wiring is essential. A good electrical bill relies on how good the wiring was set up by your chosen electrician. Plan on how many electrical outlets to put around your shop and then make sure that they are near to where your computers will be placed.

It’s up to you if you want to have an airconditioner in the first place. As with me, I never had one in my shop when I started out. I know that based from the experiences of others, airconditioners eat up most of the energy and it’s responsible of how high the electric bill is. So instead, I just had a big exhaust fan installed and some wall electricfans as well. Make sure that the switches of this appliances such as the fans should not be accessible to the customers or else,it might give them the right to turn them on and off.

For the front, you should have a good signage. You should give bypassers that you are an internet cafe and how cozy it is inside. Have a panaflex with your internet cafe’s name printed on it. Posters can help too—for example,posters of online games and computer related images. You should also post the list of services you offer inside.Make sure that you really lure them.You are projecting a lasting impression here.