How to Setup a Cyber Cafe - Page 2

Criteria for choosing the right PCs.

With RM 6370 budget, you can choose to buy a new PCs, recondition PCs or second hand PCs. The main question here, what type of services do you want to offer? What do you want your PCs capable of? The Office work and Internet type PCs are the cheapest around, the gamer PCs would cost a lot(for more details, you can read through my 'How to build your own PC' guide). Now we have small amount of budget. The best option here is the office work and Internet PCs. Ha!
A little story of my Cyber Cafe: In my experience, I'm doing a game, Internet, Office work, CD-writing(self service), scanning, custom made PCs and PC sale. I'm focusing only computer type of service to minimize my margin cost. Most of my profits comes from multiplayer games compared to the others. A constant of RM 80-100 a day with only 2-5 hours peak time that is, 2pm - 7pm, RM 2 per hour. Imagine if my location is in town. With only 12 PCs how much profits my PCs could generate? In towns, the peak time would be 2.30pm - 7pm, then 8pm - 1am(I'm not allowed to open at this hour :( .

The main point is, MULTIPLAYER AND ONLINE RPG GAME IS THE BEST FOR CYBER CAFE for starters. The best multiplayer around is still, Counter Strike, Serious Sam, Warcraft 3 DOTA and of course, Half Life. Those games requires a minimum of 256MB RAM PC, Pentium 4 for Warcraft 3, and a nice cheapest but best around graphic card of ATI Radeon 9250.

Let me make this straight. The best multiplayer online game such as Ragnarok Online, Ran Online, Half Life, Counter Strike and many more requires a minimal Gaming PCs. Lets try to calculate a NEW PCs specification for these type of PCs.

This price is based on latest PCZone on Low Yatt Plaza. You can download the PDF version of this price list here.

Processor - Intel Celeron 420 RM 120
Mainboard - ABIT L-N73V RM 185
Memory - Kingston PC 6400 DDR2 PC 800 1GB RM 70
Storage - Seagate ST380811AS 80GB SATA 8MB RM 125
Keyboard + Mouse Combo RM 35
Case + Power Supply RM 100
Recon 17" Monitor RM 150

One DLink 24 Port Switch RM 190

Total of RM 785 Per PC. We don't need a CD or DVD on each PC right? LCD Monitors would costs much. Now, with RM 6370, we can get 7 PCs for your Cyber Cafe woohoo! Those PCs capable of office works, Internet, and good game performer. With integrated nVidia 7 graphics, you can play even a Need For Speed Most Wanted or Carbon with these PCs. 80GB storage is more than enough for gaming. The DDR2 PC 800 is taking maximum advantage to its processor's FSB that is, Celeron with with 800 FSB.

Recommended Upgrade with PC this configuration:
You can use a Core 2 Duo or Quad Core with this mainboard. Use 2 stick of 800 memory to channel those memory to use a dual channel technology. There is an expansion slot for PCIe graphic card.

Now, you have balance of RM 685. Buy a Pentium 2 recondition PC worth about RM 350 and plastic chairs for your customers. Hehe..

Conclusion on PC Criteria

It is important to choose the best value for your budget PCs. As said by 'Meepo', one of the Warcraft 3 DOTA hero, "Devide We Stand!". Multiple PCs will generate more profits. This is sample of RM 10,000 budget. What if RM 20,000 or 30,000?

The Server

Use an old PC, recondition PC, gaming PC if you have a good budget or even a Pentium 2 PC to run the eCafepro server software.

Financial Plan & Marketing Strategy

Advertising

Fliers? or Newspaper? ha! Just kidding. If your Cyber Cafe is only for Internet or office works, its better to put a partition on each PCs. Play Mp3 with a nice Altec Lansing speaker, dim lighting in the room and get a color theme for the Cyber Cafe room like above picture. This type of Cyber Cafe needs to be beautiful and a nice smell for maximum surfing or working experience. Its really important for those who are concentrating on reading and writing. ^_^.

2. Game type do need dim lighting, beautiful environment and nice smell too ^_^. This type of Cyber Cafe don't need partition. Don't even think about partitions between PCs! Its because, when experienced game player is playing a game, other people will get excited and will try to learn and play that game! Free advertisement I say. Place your PCs in two row or more. Not circle. It will be noisy, fun, and exciting environment.

The only advertisements we need is other services like CD Writing Service, Printing, Scanning and others. Place the advertisements on the wall behind the cashier's position or on the cashier's table. Posters of PC games is good for blank space of walls.

Managing Profits

1. The eCafepro offers a summary of monthly, daily and each PCs profits. You can analyze it yourself. Many of Malaysians make a loan from bank to start a business. The basic cost of your Cyber Cafe is electricity bill + Internet bill + shop rental. My average profits for the month for example, total of 10 PCs.

Monday - Friday RM 85
Saturday & Sunday RM 150
Monthly = Monday to Friday x 5 x 4 + Saturday & Sunday x 2 x 4 = RM 1700 + 1200
Total of RM 2900

Electricity RM 200
Internet bill RM 77
Shop rental RM 150 ( hehe.. peace man..)
Bank Loan nil

Total profits RM 2900 - (200+77+150) = RM 2473

With total of 10 PCs, 5 hours of peak time on Monday - Friday, 10 hours on Saturday & Sunday. This is rough calculation and only 10 PCs. For towns, get at least 20 PCs ok? Because shop rental in towns maybe like RM 1000 above. But! Towns offers you more business opportunities like more peak hours! and they are mostly PC educated. No... problems..

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