Cafe or no Cafe, my question is that is Internet fast in Nigeria now because the last time I came, i was appalled?  I'm relocating to Lagos and if there is anything i hate in life it is the lack of access to information on the web.  I am willing to pay 30k per month as long as it fast.  My speed here is 65Mbps for downloads and 18Mbps for Upload but when i research online for Nigerian providers, i see speeds of kilobytes instead of Megabytes.  

If people have affordable and reliable access at home, why would they need cyber cafes?

Also i thought Globacom's marine one fiber optic cable that he connects to London with was supposed to change the game in terms of data connectivity?  Any major difference since he deployed?

mekaboy:

THE AREA STILL MATTERS, YOU JUST HAVE TO MOVE IT TO WHERE PEOPLE CANT AFFORD ONE FOR THEMSELVES, ITS LIKE GOING TO SELL USED CLOTHS IN AN AREA WHERE RICH PEOPLE LIVE, THEY WILL FEEL EMBARRASSED TO BUY THEM, BUT TAKE IT TO THE GHETTO, THEY WILL RUSH IT. BUT I DON'T THINK I AM PLANNING TO ENTER THE GHETTO.

I don't buy the idea of taking it to people who can't afford a PC obviously in Nigeria today getting to an area where people are not enlightened there will be problem because most of them might be computer illiterate.

Walala:

Cafe or no Cafe, my question is that is Internet fast in Nigeria now because the last time I came, i was appalled?  I'm relocating to Lagos and if there is anything i hate in life it is the lack of access to information on the web.  I am willing to pay 30k per month as long as it fast.  My speed here is 65Mbps for downloads and 18Mbps for Upload but when i research online for Nigerian providers, i see speeds of kilobytes instead of Megabytes.  

If people have affordable and reliable access at home, why would they need cyber cafes?

Also i thought Globacom's marine one fiber optic cable that he connects to London with was supposed to change the game in terms of data connectivity?  Any major difference since he deployed?

Hey you can't get such speed here in Nigeria.

@All i will tell you one secret, big boyz in this bizness will not pray power should be stable, why? because people will be forced to use cafes more when they know they will fuel their generator buy internet subscription and others, then it will be better to just go to the cafe and use some time, since its cheaper.

You still need power, and speed really matters, the cyber cafe i use the reason i go there is because I watch videos which my modem will not only frustrate me but also charge unreasonably.

mrinfo:

Good question. Most people confuse revenue with profits. Making N30,000 daily from a business doesn't necessarily translate to financial success. What is the mark up? That's the question. Do you have power supply from PHCN all day. What's the cost of your internet connectivity? What of rent? System repair costs? Taxes and revenues charges from state and local governments? Cost of ink refilling for printers and photocopier etc

When you put all this into account you'll find out how much your cafe really makes.

Still I must say, 30,000 to 40,000 is pretty impressive for a cyber cafe (talking from experience)

true story. from my own experience, that's really impressive. unbelievably so considering the fact that i run mine in the "jungle" and have 10 systems(to keep over head low) yet we hit full capacity just 3 hours in a month. maybe because i dont offer night browsing service, but who does that these days?

This is really interesting. No matter the area Cyber business is no longer what its used to be. The stress involved doesn't commensurate with the returns. The only solution is combining it with other things like typing setting, photocopy, selling of gadgets, have a nearby outlet for fast food, and ICT training.

i like these post

I own a Cafe and have about 24 Computers. It would have closed up a long time if not that it is located in our family structure, I do not pay rents.
Secondly, I complement the cafe with a Business Centre, a Game centre and a Computer training centre.
Cafe business is seasonal like most businesses but very little profit. The bulk of your profit goes into power and ISPs, the more speed required by you, the more you pay the ISPs. But, I have a policy, don't ever close a struggling business, instead try to sustain it by adding some other services.
Almost all my customers own a laptop and MTN, glo or Starcomms modern yet they always come back to the cafe. The reason is that, not all of them have spiral binding machine, photocopy machine, ink or toner, scanner in one place, something must bring them in hence modification is necessary.

I am still looking for more ideas to add to what I have.

Cybercafe business may not be as profitable as before, yet i know many guys who are making a lot of money from this business. It only depends on location and your marketing ability

depends on the location.

Definitely not. I'm in a cafe now and it's bubbling wityh activity cos my ISP is messing up.

The target market has definitely slid down the status ladder though.

Location,location,location, good speed, you are good to go.
@Spyker you are very right, some other opinion here are right.
I have run cafe business for 8 straight years , never applied for a job with my degree, i have added new innovation to the cafe by providing wireless internet access to clients around me, i use the revenue from my clients to pay off my Uk ISP.
Though cafe business is dying , you just need to innovate to stay on the game.

Wel as for me am into Cafe business, Computer school, computer engr. & training, And business centre but the fact is this, can you image i have no savices for now may God help me Amen. i believe i have the idea but i dont no what to do again also the area is a very stupid area

I have read fru everyone's post, on the whole, i think its diminishing due to the availibility of cheap subscription, thos of you who say it would thrive in rich areas, you 4get rich people have money to buy N20000 laptops and N8000 monthly subscription, poorer areas,guys still use jail break aka opera mini

SOLUTIONS LOL
Well owners of cyber cafe need to be inovative, add more services to your cafe not just browsing and selling, go to banks, try and look for peolple who require online payments for thier Biz, try and aquire a POS and serve as POS for others by laying the contacts,spread into digital prinitng,there loads you could do with the NET actually the sky is your limit people just dont know it

SOLUTIONS LOL
Well owners of cyber cafe need to be inovative, add more services to your cafe not just browsing and selling, go to banks, try and look for peolple who require online payments for thier Biz, try and aquire a POS and serve as POS for others by laying the contacts,spread into digital prinitng,there loads you could do with the NET actually the sky is your limit people just dont know it

WHERE AND WHAT BANK IN NIAJA WILL THEY GIVE YOU LOAN OR LISTEN TO YOU SEF , ALL A CAFE NEED FIRST IS STEADY ELECTRICIY FIRSY AND SECOND INTERNET SPEED AND MUST BE A GOOD LOCATION UNLESS PEOPLE WONT COME TOO MUCH, NOW ADAYS THERE ARE MODERMS , BLACKBERRY INTERNET ENABLES PHONES, UNLIKE 10YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WAS BIG MONEY IN CAFE BUSINESS , NOT THESE DAYS, BUT WE STILL NEED THEM AROUND SHA

poweredcom:

WHERE AND WHAT BANK IN NIAJA WILL THEY GIVE YOU LOAN OR LISTEN TO YOU SEF , ALL A CAFE NEED FIRST IS STEADY ELECTRICIY FIRSY AND SECOND INTERNET SPEED AND MUST BE A GOOD LOCATION UNLESS PEOPLE WONT COME TOO MUCH, NOW ADAYS THERE ARE MODERMS , BLACKBERRY INTERNET ENABLES PHONES, UNLIKE 10YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WAS BIG MONEY IN CAFE BUSINESS , NOT THESE DAYS, BUT WE STILL NEED THEM AROUND SHA

guy no make me laugh, when I said go to the Bank I did not mean go and take loans, its just that the banks in Nigeria carry out certain services just cos they have steady power and internet connections,same you can achive if you have a POS + power plus good internet connections,if you can accept payments on behalf of machants,that would be a major step in the right direction.
NB POS = Point of sales,system that allows you to pay with your debit/credit card.

EVERYONE HAS A GAS COOKER OR A KEROSINE STOVE AND YET WE ALL STILL GO TO EATERIES OR BUKKAS? ITS NOT ABOUT THE BUSINESS NOT BEING LUCRATIVE, ITS ABOUT SERVICE BEING POOR INSO MANY CYBER CAFES> SLOW DOWNLOAD SPEED CRAMPED AND UNCOMFORTABLE SPACES ETC, IF I HAD THE TIME TO SET NE UP I KNOW IT WOULD MAKE ALOT OF MONEY. I HAVE TWO 24 HOUR MODEMS IN MY HOME, A BB SUBSCRIPTION AND YET IF I FOUND A VERY DAST CYBERCAFE WERE I COULD DOWNLOAD @ SPEEDS OF SAY 1MB PER SEC I WOULD GO THERE AND PAY THE PRICE TO DOWNLOAD MY LARGE FILES OF 7GB PLUS

Cybercafe is now more easy to run now than before. i presently ran one and it s been waxing daily. so it depends you plan it. The gist is that you have to add other businesses to it

One would blame their dwindling no on the ruinous cost of diesel.

Cyber isnt the only biz witnessing lull.
Please we shouldn't discourage ppl who need to start sm where.
Its true that setting up Cybers are easier these days
Also the monthly rentals have eased off too, Patronage is dropping, sort of counterbalance

If one makes 3k daily that adds up 2 nearly 90k monthly
If 30% is used for rentals & other overhead costs, 30% set aside 2 defray capital cost
one can manage 40k/month
Its above level 10 even wt d minimum wage
Its a good starting point especially 4 freshers

& within 15 months one can finish paying the starting capital & catapult to 70k/month
Ppl can plan well, go into it 2 make honest living , & move into other ventures, if need be, that is .

[b]I set up a cyber cafe early this year because i decided to pay deaf ears to what people around me say or think because that was what i had always want to do for years, now its up and running.

The most popular cafe in my area closed down few weeks before i opened mine but still i went ahead with my plan.

I based my initial running of the cafe on no power supply as an extreme rule because of my experience with power but its not been easy in that, as an entrepreneur its sickening when you realize how much it cost to power your generator and what that would have been if circumstance were right with constant power supply.


To God be the glory, i have no course to regret because its what i love doing irrespective of the money i am making from it.

I took so many things into consideration before opening the cafe.

1. Conducive nature of the cafe and the neatness (CLEAN ENVIRONMENT WITH GOOD VENTILATION )
2. Configuration of the system ( Minimum 512, Max 1gb memory, dvd writers , clean and neat flat screens).
3. Courtesy to Customers and good customer relations.
4. Nice flat screen Tv for customer pleasure and One premiership match per though ones shown on TV.
5. Sales of flash drives, memory cards, head sets, transfer of music files for fones and ipod, dictionary and anti virus.
6. Software installations and system trouble shooting and other emergency customer stock request called JAMA JAMA.


Few months into the business, the power situation has changed and i can tell you that sometimes i dont consume 5 liters of fuel in a week, the week ending Oct 1st made it one week in my area ( ITIRE SURULERE<LAGOS) without consuming 2 liters of fuel.

I refuse to delude myself with the current power condition as i have decided to save all the money coming in now for another project i have in mind looking into having at the back of my mind the situation might not last (wrongly or rightly).

What i see in all these is for people to invest in business they have passion  for because that's the only thing that will help sustain the business when its in a trying stage before the money start flowing in.

I am currently making research into the tooth pick and matches business in case cyber cafe becomes unprofitable as time goes on but i am sure the cafe is going to fund major part of that business.

What ever business you have in mind, once you have the passion for it, do your research very well, dont be too optimistic in your projection, dont compromise on average standards and work hard towards sustaining it and it shall succeed not minding the fact that businesses in that line are closing shops : BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND TRUST GOD WITH IT.[/b]


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cyber-Planet-Information-and-Resource-Center/188103931251355

i have a cafe and its doin pretty good bt can do more, am willing to share with any cafe owner or prospective owner ways of handling loads of stuff like fuel consumption, link, timer e.t.c y don't we all just form a consortium and share ideas on how to help each other. U'll be amazed @ the amount of infomation that wud be shared. its still a lucrative biz especially with other services at the side, it takes care of all my monthly expenses, i hadly touch my salary.

am in lagos and am awaiting anyone interested

my email: payrite.ng@gmail.com

seal777:

What software are you using to manage your clients? You have too many systems crammed into that space, move the computers down to the botom to free up more desktop space, consider using more comfortabel chairs to excite your end users to stay longer. Put soothing pictures on the wall, basically try yo creaste an illusion that they are in a different environments and not stuck inside a cafe.

badesco:

Cybercafe is now more easy to run now than before. i presently ran one and it s been waxing daily. so it depends you plan it. The gist is that you have to add other businesses to it

That's one of the issues I see with folks at home. They are always after the quick buck without planning for development.

[b]@Somorin#1,

Thanks so much for your comment, well noted.

I make use of Antamedia software in managing my clients and its been a wonderful experience for me.

The picture is not doing enough justifice to the space in between the systems, the cafe is spacious than you view it on the picture and the ventilation is superb.


I adopt these arrangement to prevent any dubious dealing in the form of internet scams by customer, this have really given me an edge as my customer base are strictly middle class who feel much comfortable using the place without fear of hackers or scams.

I started when the power issue was bad but now that their is massive improvement, i intend bringing in 2 split unit air conditioners in few weeks time to complement it.


My advice to people who intend investing in the cafe business is that, If making quick cash is top most on your mind, please stay clear of cafe business as you will close shop in no time.

I bought the systems myself, did the arrangement, did all the networking and soft ware installations my self because i have a good grasp of computers though i am an accountant by profession.

I am making money but i am also enjoying every bit of my time managing the cafe and planing on how to beat competitions and move above fellow cafe owners.

God bless you for the observations made and i can assure you i will take them very seriously.[/b]

seal777:

@Somorin#1,

Thanks so much for your comment, well noted.

God bless you for the observations made and i can assure you i will take them very seriously.

Thank you for seeing this as the constructive criticism that it was.

You have a pretty good grasp of business sense and will surely succeed since you're very hands on.