How to Hire Employees for Your Cyber Cafe

Choosing workers for your cyber cafe can be daunting. First, don't think its just about selling tickets, answering customers' questions and maybe doing a few photocopies. There's a huge customer care aspect to it.

In my experience, even when an internet cafe is not spectacular possibly with respect to internet speed, you may still have customers coming in regularly because of the disposition of the cafe attendant.

Being a cyber cafe attendant is very tasking work. That's why possibly 3 hours into the day they start getting tired and if they stay longer they may begin to act disinterestedly to customers. They refuse to answer questions and even answer rudely when they choose to. Customer's are affected by the disposition of your attendants more than by the internet speed. With slow speed but courteous employees, customers may endure with you.

In choosing a cafe attendant, check for basic skills: understanding of how to operate a computer, how to use a photocopy machine (if you want that), how to use other machines you may have (binding, lamination, etc). You can teach them how to operate these machines, it doesn't require going to school for.

Also check that they can use the kinds of software applications that are necessary for the jobs you do. Word processing like MS Word, presentation software like MS PowerPoint, graphic design and photo editing like Corel Draw or Photoshop, spreadsheets like MS Excel.

Knowledge of additional applications can help. If you need someone who can type, be sure to take someone who types with few mistakes and at a good speed.

Above all, the candidates attitude and customer relations skills is the biggest factor. You need someone respectful, courteous and pleasant.

How to Choose an ISP for your Cyber Cafe

Its sometimes a difficult call when you want to use a VSAT connection. When I used to use VSAT, there was MWEB (now IWAY), NETCOM, Direct on PC and the rest.

Things have changed now. People have found alternatives. Multilinks, Visafone, Starcomms, MTN and others. Personally, I prefer Multilinks and Visafone. I don't know about MTN and other GSM networks. I don't know if they can comfortably carry 10 computers. Maybe they've developed products for office use now but I never tried them because of the bandwidth limitations they have at that time in 2009.

Nigerian CDMA networks provide good data plans, sometimes with good bandwidth allowances. VSAT internet providers may tell you they are giving you 128/256kbps. Your download speed is supposed to be at most 256kbps which is supposed to be around 64KB/s. Now that's the maximum. Your average speed may now be around 30KB/s or so.

When you start using VSAT internet from some of these companies, you may have the fastest internet speed in town. 6 months to a year down the line you'll be appalled to notice your speed dwindle so badly. Everytime you call customer care they might tell you they are doing upgrades or that a satellite is passing their own or some technical stuff.

My experience with CDMA has been different. You may have downtime but speed is generally consistent. I have tested a both visafone and multilinks modems. I have shared them on 6 systems. I refused to use them for up to 10 computers because I wanted to maintain the speed of all the computers.

So, if you're new and you want to start an average cafe with about 10 computers or less, you can use a CDMA modem. Use it to reduce your cost. You can use a data plan of N15000 to carry 6 systems. I'm sure you can use a data plan of at N21000 to serve 10 computers. This saves cost, compared to paying over N80000 (I once paid about N127000 every month for VSAT).

Minimum Requirements for a Cyber Cafe Computer

It actually depends on the kind of activity your cyber cafe would do. If you have customers who'll be doing a lot of gaming, consider having more advanced components on your computer: higher RAM, advanced graphics components, bigger hard drive space etc.

However, for everyday surfing, you just need a computer that will enable your customer check his mail or facebook, download a few documents, edit documents and things like that. I'll recommend the following as the minimum:

1. Windows XP
2. 512mb RAM (please consider 1gb as applications are getting more advanced)
3. 15" monitor and above
4. 40gb hard disk storage space
5. 100Mbps network card (most new computers have this)
6. Standard English keyboard

In my opinion, using features that won't become obsolete in 3 years is the best move. However, do not expect your computer to last those three years. I generally have to format my computers around 3 months into their operation because of virus issues. I don't always do that though. It's only when the situation has become critical.

Sometimes, heat and other factors (maybe fake components) may make your computer give up. You may have to replace some of your computers in about a year of using them.

Simply be sure to get the advice of a good technician when purchasing your computers. A system unit (without other components like the monitor) with specifications as I have listed above should cost about N15000 as at this year. That is for a refurbished computer. You'll find out that you can buy refurbished computers and use them for possibly 2 years, as against buying brand new ones for over N75000.

Get the right advice though. 

Checklist for Starting a Cyber Cafe

When you want to start a cyber cafe, you're going to need certain equipment. Actually, its not just the internet services you may offer. You can have other things included, possibly typing, photocopy, graphic design, passport photo printing and other related services. Here are a few things you will need and more for you to consider:

1. Very skilled and honest staff
2. Internet Service Provider: they'll give you the modem and other equipment you'll need for your internet services
3. Router or switch: to enable you share the internet connection
4. Computers
5. Printers
6. Standby generator
7. UPS for each computer
8. Good seats
9. Good lighting
10. Photocopy machine
11. Binding machine
12. Lamination machine
13. Camera and photo printer

These are just some of the things you will need. The most important ones come first on the list. The others are additional to help you provide related services to maximize income.