Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi there! An internet cafe, eh? Well, there are a LOT of things you can do. I`ll throw a few out off the top of my head.

1. Get active in social media sites and make contact with active people in your area. Position your cafe as THE place for such groups to meet in RL (real life).

2. Talk to your current customers. Are any of them a part of any groups that could meet weekly or monthly at your place, where the internet might be of use. For example, local players of online games could meet at certain times to play online AND interact in RL at the same time. Business networking groups are excellent as well.

3. Work with businesses in your town that complement yours for drawings and such.

4. Talk with local artists about hanging their work on your walls, and have "art openings" one night per month, to draw in new potential customers.

5. Do what bars do... offer free salty snacks with the purchase of a drink (it will encourage their thirst).

6. Do you have a printer/fax, etc for those who don`t have them to use at a cost while they are at your business? A few different types of papre as well, for those who may need to print resumes/business proposals.

7. This is simple, but often overlooked. Do your counter employees upsell? If I purchase a drink, am I always offered a muffin or a sandwich?

8. Rewards cards... keep people coming back, reward them for doing so,

9. Do you have an email list for interesting events at your cafe?

10. Bring in local internet experts for short seminars. Offer them free. The professionals may get a bit of business out of them, or hone their speaking skills, and your customers get something of value, while you make the money from the coffees (and sandwiches, etc, if you do it at meal times).

That`s just a few, but you get my drift. *smiles*

An Internet café can be a really great place for businesses to rent as like a class room for education, product presentation etc. Offer the local businesses to rent the place in the quiet hours (mornings) where your normal customers are at work or in school. Maybe offer a package with breakfast, coffee, lunch etc. included.

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Carsten Jacobsen
IT Entrepreneur, living in Denmark
My Blog: www.ScandinavianMinds.com

Hi there, and welcome to the community. Would you be willing to post a link to the cafe? It`d probably help if we can see what you`re doing at the moment.

I would assume that your Internet cafe has a Web presence? That would be a Web site with various Web pages? If so, then if we can see what you`re already doing, it`ll help with ideas for more that you can do. If not, then I`m thinking that building a Web presence would go a long way toward helping to bring in more customers.