How to Start Cyber Cafe Business in Nigeria

In this article, you will learn how to start a cyber cafe business also known as an internet cafe business in Nigeria. In this article, we will also be explaining why the business is a profitable business in Nigeria, the cost of starting the business, the equipment needed to start the business, and more.

Read this article to the end to get everything you need to know about starting the business. The cyber cafe business is still a lucrative business in Nigeria. Despite the availability of smartphones and mobile data, many Nigerians especially low-income Nigerians cannot afford to buy Android phones.

Also in Nigeria, we still have a large number of citizens that are still illiterates and even those that are not illiterates do not know how to operate a computer. Especially artisans, and people in the blue-collar sector. You can make money in Nigeria by teaching these people how to use the internet and browse the Internet.

What is a Cyber Cafe?

A cyber cafe also known as an internet cafe is a place where people come to browse the internet. This could be to visit social media (chatting) or to visit blogs. Online registrations are also done in cybercafes. A cyber cafe can be owned by an individual or a group of people (investors).

Is Cyber Cafe Business Profitable?

Starting a cyber cafe can be a profitable business, especially in a country like Nigeria due to the fact that many Nigerians do not have computers because they cannot afford one. Many of these people need the services of a cyber cafe to be able to use computers and browse the internet. Especially when it comes to doing online registration and processing important documents.

A cyber cafe can be a lucrative business in rural areas more than in urban areas in Nigeria.

Capital Needed to Start Cyber Cafe Business

Starting a cyber cafe in Nigeria can be expensive except you are starting a mini cyber cafe business instead. A mini cyber cafe is a cyber cafe business where they have just 3 to 5 computers for customers. But a big cyber cafe is a cyber cafe business where you have 10 to 20 computers for customers to use at the same time.

To start a mini cyber cafe business in Nigeria you will need a capital of N700,000 to N1,000,000 and to start a big cyber cafe you will need a starting capital of N1,000,000 to N1,500,000.

Equipment Needed to Start Cyber Cafe

There is a lot of equipment needed in setting up a cyber cafe business in Nigeria.

1. Computers (desktops or laptops)

2. Internet (Mifi and Wifi)

3. Printer

4. Photocopy machine

5. Extensions

6. Tables

7. Chairs

8. Generator

9. UPS

10. Scanner

11. Laminating machine

12. Light bulbs

13. Fans

14. Fingerprint Scanner 

15. Webcams

How to Start a Cyber Cafe in Nigeria

Here are the steps to take in starting a profitable cyber cafe business in Nigeria.

1. Write a Business Plan

This is the first step to starting a successful cyber cafe business in Nigeria. You need to write a business plan for your cyber cafe business because it is a capital-intensive business and you cannot afford to make unnecessary losses.

A business plan will guide you on everything you need to know about cyber cafe business, the market survey of the area you want to start the business, the capital needed, how to use the capital to buy all equipment needed, and how to go about renting a shop for the business.A business plan can be written by anyone however, if you do not know how you can go about it you can contact me for help.

But if you are starting a mini cyber cafe you do not necessarily need a business plan for the business as the risks are minimal.

2. Acquire the Starting Capital

The cyber cafe business is not for everyone, especially for people who are just starting to make money due to the set-up cost. You have to have a reasonable source of income or funds to be able to start the business. The only way you can start the business easily with low capital is when you have some of the equipment needed to start or you have a place you can use.

If you do not have any of these do not borrow or be desperate in starting the business. Take your time and go into other business ventures (low capital-demanding businesses) first to increase your income. Read our article on how to start a business in Nigeria with no capital if you do not have the money to start.

3. Buy Computers and Other Equipment

Computers are the lifeline of a cyber cafe. You need to buy computers that your customers will use to browse in your cyber cafe. You can either buy tokunbo computers or new computers. It depends on the capital you have. However, most people going into the cyber cafe business buy tokunbo computers with the right specifications.

It is best all these computers have the same specifications for easy synchronization and formatting at any time. The operating system for these computers also matters. Most computers in cyber cafes used to use Windows XP but today most cyber cafes use Windows 10 for easy printing of documents and connectivity.

4. Rent a Shop for the Business

Cyber cafes need to be at landmarks or on major roads to increase patronage from customers. It is not like other computer service businesses that you can start anywhere and still make profits. For this reason, you need to rent a shop at the right place at the right cost. The size of the shop matters a lot in a cyber cafe business.

It is only when you want to open a mini cyber cafe business that you need a small shop.

5. Install all Equipment Needed

After renting a shop for your cyber cafe business in Nigeria the next step will be to install neatly all equipment in the shop. For this, you will need the services of a computer engineer. He or she will install the internet connection to the computers after setting them up. It is important to get a fast reliable internet provider as a slow internet service will discourage customers from patronizing you.

There are so many internet providers now in Nigeria that have better services and unlimited data plans when it comes to cyber cafe businesses you just need to choose. A business with good services will always promote itself.

6. Start Running the Business

Before you can start running your cyber cafe business in a country like Nigeria you need to get your time allocation right. You can meet other internet cafes around to learn how they print their time for customers. The time counters help the computer to automatically count down the moment the customer logs in.

If you do not do this and you just allow customers to browse the internet they will overuse their browsing time.The moment you get the printing of your time from 1 hour to a maximum of 4 hours you can now open your cyber cafe business to the public.

7. Making Profits from the Business

To increase profits in your cyber cafe business in Nigeria there are different things you can do.

1. You can send proposals to organizations and schools to patronize you. Schools like secondary schools can easily send their students to your cyber cafe to come and one online registration or the other.

2. Giving time discounts will also encourage your customers to browse more which will make more profits for you.

3. Opening for longer hours than other cyber cafes around you will increase patronage in your cyber cafe business in Nigeria. This will also increase your profits in the business easily.

Conclusion

There are many opportunities in the internet cafe business but many people do not know about this. Some of these opportunities are when exam bodies like JAMB or WAEC license or recognize you as a center for their exam registrations. Cyber cafe businesses can be very profitable for their owners if their owners are willing to invest in the business more as the business grows and later willing to diversify.

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