Having a great idea for a business is just the first step.

 The most practical

initial step is going to be finding out if a market exists for what it is you are trying
to do. A great idea is only as good as the customers that will support it. Even if
someone is not a true capitalist, they still need to consider that to be in business
one must earn money from that venture, and certainly enough to break-even so
as to be able to continue said venture. Even for an internet café having a
business plan is a great idea.

You have to be able to cover the bills, and earn whatever it is you need to
survive. Beyond that, you can be a great profiteer, and really manage your
bottom line, or you can continue on making enough to cover the bills, but at some
point you will have to draw on your inner profiteer, because just meeting the bills
every month can fast land you in a fiscal quagmire that will threaten your very
existence. These are the reasons why having a good, solid business plan
from the outset is very important, and then revisiting that business plan
regularly will keep you on track and remind you of why you started this venture
to begin with.

Getting Started With Your Internet Café

Business Plan
Starting an internet café is a promising endeavour, and many markets will
easily tolerate this business model. The first question is what products or
services will you be offering now, and what products and services might you want
to build-in to your business model in the future? There is a coffee house model in
Japan, called the kissaten, that allows patrons to basically buy one cup of coffee,
and then stay indefinitely. Questions on time limits, what you will serve at your
cafe, and the kind of experience you want your customers to come to expect are
some of the questions you need to answer. The following are some examples of
questions:

– Will this be a casual place, or is there going to be some requirements?

– Will your patrons be able to sit in your cafe indefinitely, or will they be paying by
the hour for internet access?
– Do you plan to provide Wifi for those who bring their own devices, and if so, will
there be a charge for this?
– Will you serve food and beverages, and if so, what does your menu look like?
– Will you limit it to just a few standard options, like coffee and muffins, or will you
serve light fare, like sandwiches?
– What kind of an experience do you want to provide to your cafe customers?
– Do you plan to have live entertainment, like poetry readings or a string quartet?

Whether the idea of the Japanese kissaten appeals to you or not, it

raises natural questions about how long you want people to be able to sit at
your computers, what the hourly charges will be, will you have an open-access
computer for quick use, of perhaps less than 10 minutes, and will you have
laptops and tablets for patrons to use. Beyond this you want to ask if you are
going to offer beverages and light fare, so as to manage expenses in the
beginning, or what kind of a menu might you have.

Starting small with the menu might be best to adequately focus on building
the internet cafe side of the business, which requires a much larger initial
investment, or perhaps starting with a coffee shop, and then slowly building in the
internet side of the business is the way you want to go. These are questions that
have to be answered when you establish your business plan, and doing both well
from the outset might be greater in theory than in practice. Try to make a list of
every possible consideration, and then come back to that list a few days later and
see if you can add even more questions; this business plan must be
comprehensive.
Internet Café Business Plan: Industry and
Competition Analysis
Analysis of the industry and competition are somewhat
synonymous. Reminding yourself you have to be able to eventually earn a profit
from your venture will naturally lead to market analysis, and finding out where the
nearest competitors are located. There has to be sufficient market share for the
business to survive. In the internet café business plan, also look at the industry
you are entering from both the cost-of-goods side of the equation as well as
volatility of prices in the commodity you need to procure.

Computers are basically consumer staples, so you won’t have to worry

much about price fluctuations, but you must remember that things can
change, and so looking at historical price fluctuations on the goods you need will
be necessary to accurately forecast feasibility studies. This information is
important and can be gathered from a number of sources.
Internet Café Business Plan: The Marketing
Plan
The next question that has to be answered in your business plan is how do you
plan to reach your targeted customers? Having particular marketing channels
and promotional plans in place are very important. You might have a great
business plan, and one that the local market in your area will tolerate,
but reaching your key demographic is important. At this point you also have
to start to consider creating a social media presence for your company, and
contemplating creating a website with a plan to draw your targeted audience.
Management Team and Operations in Your
Internet Café Business Plan
At this point in the internet café business plan you also have to have a
management team and operations plan. Having a current team, and then
identifying those positions in your organization that you will have to fill are key
steps. The operations plan is really one of the biggest components, as it
identifies where you are while also showcasing what goals you wish to
accomplish, and an associated timeline to accomplish your goals.

The Internet Café Business Plan’s Financials

Finally, your financial plan needs to be in place. This is the backbone of your
entire business plan. It needs to identify how much outside funding you might
need, and what sources you are planning on using. You also have to identify how
funds will be allocated, and in what areas of your business will they be invested.
Projecting profits and revenues for the next 5 years is a necessary component to
your financial plan.

Once all aspects of your internet café business plan are in place, and you
are very familiar with every detail, you are going to be very prepared to
answer all key questions in a small business loan interview. This kind of plan will
also serve to keep you on track as your business goes through cycles that every
business does. It will be the reference point for you every day outlining why you
started this venture, and it will help you build your dream.