The time of the once popular Internet cafes is gradually fading into the past. A few years ago, they were visible on every corner, but the advent of tablet computers and smartphones was too strong competition for Internet cafes.
Mobile Internet fully satisfies the needs of people to access the Internet at any time and in any place. However, the Internet cafe business idea is not a thing of the past, as it may seem. It’s just that for a successful business, you need to change the form of the enterprise and adapt to the needs of people.
Who can become a visitor to an Internet cafe and what form can be offered to implement this business idea?
To answer these questions, you need to conduct market research for Internet cafes and assess the potential of the business in your city.
First of all, you need to understand that, despite the name, the former form of Internet cafes was more in line with a club than a cafe. The main clients of such a club were visitors and fans of computer games.
In principle, this form of club has the right to exist. Moreover, the clients of such a club make up a fairly close-knit core of regular customers, as they come to the Internet cafe not only to play, but also to chat.
If the intended premises for an Internet cafe are located near educational institutions, then you can do business with just such a circle of amateurs.
However, two important things must be taken into account:
- firstly, all software, including games, must be licensed;
- secondly, such a club should not just provide equipment and Internet access.
It is necessary to organize interesting events, tournaments, presentations, invite interesting people.
That is, to bet on organized events and income from them, and not on collective games. Otherwise, you can quickly slide down to the level when one shkolota will gather in your Internet cafe, buzz, scare away customers and bring ridiculous money, making the Internet cafe business idea completely unprofitable. It is for these reasons that most of the old Internet cafes have closed.
Another form of implementing an Internet cafe business idea is closer to a cafe than a club.
Most cafes now provide free Wi-Fi Internet access as an additional service. At the same time, the cafe owner is not responsible for licensed software, does not provide services to gamers, but receives increased revenue due to the fact that visitors stay in his cafe for a longer time and order more. In addition, a circle of regular customers is formed who visit the cafe every day.
In order for an Internet cafe to still be different from a regular cafe, you need a few nice additions for customers.
For example, equip one or two tables with laptops or large monitors for joint surfing on the Internet, make thematic collections of bookmarks for interesting entertainment sites. You can also make a political Internet cafe in which people can communicate and discuss the latest news topics.
That is, to implement an Internet cafe business idea, you need original and fresh ideas that will allow your cafe to acquire its unique face.
As for costs and profitability, their assessment can be done on the basis of conducting marketing research and drawing up a business plan .