This is a very common query that leads folks here to PhilFAQS, the site where you find the answers to frequently asked questions about living in the Philippines. From time to time I have published answers, including this series by a real “computer shop” owner here in Bulacan, Philippines on how to start and run an internet cafe.
But I am always on the lookout for more current information to help my readers. Recently I came across a comment on my good friend Yuga’s blog that answers a lot of questions, about internet cafe’s, gaming shops, LAN shops and other computer-related service businesses here in the Philippines:
There is a new comment on the post "Are Internet Cafes still a Good Business?".
http://www.yugatech.com/blog/netrepreneur/are-internet-cafes-still-a-good-business/Author: JJ
Comment:
Yes, it is still a good business. We have been in this business since 1992.For those interested in setting up your own internet cafe or just need a free consult, visit our multiply site at http://kompyuters.multiply.com or email me at kompyuters@yahoo.com
http://www.yugatech.com/blog/netrepreneur/are-internet-cafes-still-a-good-business/#comments
I really thank JJ for offering up a lot of very useful information on his LAN Shops, IT Services, At Iba Pa… site where you can find out how he has been making a nice business in the computer shop world, right here in 2009. (for those not familiar with Filipino slang, At Iba Pa technically translates to the phrase “and other things” and is frequently used in it acronym form, ATBP, the way we might use et. in the US).
I like the way JJ has organized his efforts and how he does his own thinking and doing … example, making his own computer tables. The computer desks I have seen in most suppliers were designed and built by people who don’t use computers and are often useless, and certainly overpriced. There are two ways to deal with situations like this … throw up your hands and do nothing, moaning the words ‘if only’, or take up a hammer and saw and fix the problem. JJ appears to be a fixer rather than a whiner .. one thing I can tell you, if you want to succeed in the computer business or any other business, you need to be a doer too.
Popularity: 20% [?]
Interesting info. I’ll forward this to my sister-in-law who runs an internet cafe (minus the cafe). Here are a couple of other web sites that might be interesting to a prospective internet cafe owner:
http://www.ulop.net/
http://www.pinoylanshop.com/
Thanks so much for the further information. I’m going to check out those other two references. Here’s something I have observed lately, on cafe’s, computer shops, LAN ships, ATBP.
Like any business, there are examples of success, examples of failure and decline, and many stories in-between. But an old rule of thumb regarding business is, longevity means a lot. If a business stays open, year after year, the owner is at least mainking enough to pay his exspenses/support his/her family … there is no charity that distributes money to keeps cafe’s alive
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In the mall where I shop almost every day, there are a couple internet cafe’s/gaming shops that have bene going more thna three years now … and amall location is one of the more expensive venues. I also just came from a huge mall location in Metro Manila .. two huge floors of nothing but computer/cell phones/gaming stores in SM North, nearly as large as SM Mall of Asia. I saw a Netopia cafe (one of the top of the line franchis eoperations in the Philippines, with plenty of heads bent over keyboards at 11 am already, and in an open part of the top floor, a gaming operation, out in the central floorspace of the mall that was huge, priobably 50 or more gaming stations, and they were serving people even before lunch on a weekday. Not crowded with people, of course at that hour, but with “asses in seats” … a prime factor in the make or break of any operation like that.
So one can reasonably conclude the business model ain’t dead yet. Tell your SIL I’d be happy to post a guest article about her experiences, good or bad, pictures of her shop, etc. Same offer to any other shop operators out thre, becuase this is a popular subject here on PhilFAQS and I like to give people what they are interested in.
Hi Philly,
Thank you very much for the kind words. Yes, the LAN Shop biz is pretty much a hands on business and since technology changes all the time, you have to be prepared for it. And if you can, you have to give what your customers need and not limit them to what you or your shop can offer.
Off topic:
I also worked as an employee in food chains, and what I saw was, if the brand is no longer exciting, then sales begin to go down. The food biz needs to reinvent themselves every now and then for the customers to be continuously excited and frequent their place. If the brand dies, then even if you launch new good products, you will not be able to sell them.
I applied this experience to my shop and so far it has worked for me.
JJ
PS: ULOP is a nice site. I have been a member there for many years now. Members there practice synergy, there is no trade secret whatsoever.
JJ, you’re more than welcome. It’s refreshing to find someone in the business who has a web site, reads blogs and such. Lots of guys seem to hide from publicity … I dunno why, they are trying to run “stealth” computer shops or something
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I don’t get any huge amount to traffic here, but a big percentage of what I get is from search engines, mostly people from overseas, foreigners, OFW’s and baikbayan. looking for information on how to open a shop in the Philippines, how much it costs, how much they can make, etc. I’ll point those who ask toward you.
Funny that today is the day you got around to answering, because I just got “shops: puched up to the front of my brain, someone just opened one brand new near my home here in Marilao, new building, nice signage, busy location and even a place to park in front. I have to visit and see if the place is as good as it looks.
I also found your post via Google today. Was surprised about it actually.
Whenever I have spare time I try to read and write blogs because it helps a lot in getting the temperature of the LAN shop biz. I am also looking at other businesses involving computers, will update you as soon as one of them materializes, maybe it can help some of your readers.
The way you described the new shop that opened near your place, it seems like a real nice place. I also got a call today from someone in Mandaluyong asking for my services to setup their shop. They already have 10 computers in place.
I intend to go down the street to that new place perhaps tomorrow. I’m actually a bit “charged up” about it right now, but I am also wiped out physically … spent almost all night going to NAIA to pick up two sisters-in-law and bring them to the family home, round the corner from me. Wonderful to see them again, we of course chatted, laughed and passed around the passalubong until daylight. I had such a laugh driving them back from the airport, in the middle of the hight, along my favorite ‘bypass rout’, up Roxas Blvd, through the port area, past Smokey Mountain and through Novatas(sp) to wind up on the NLEX.
The kano in front driving, the Filipinos who grew up here, their perspective changed by years in the US, sitting in back going, “Oh my God, this is terrible here, it’s so dark. Oh, look out, that truck has no lights, How did you ever know that was the place to make your turn, there are no signs”and so on.
Both these ladies drive regularly in the US, and I’ve ridden with them, it’s not like they were just worried about things like new, timid drivers might be. I guess it’s a weird thing to be proud of, but then again, I felt good because it’s kind of proof that our two cultures are worlds apart in some ways, but the gap can be bridged, at least temporarily… if we want it to be ….