Profitable business idea: opening a computer club

Is it profitable to open in modern realities?

There are a huge number of people who cannot imagine their life without computer games. For them, it’s relaxation, a way to spend time with friends, to escape from everyday problems.

Even more people urgently need to print documents or other information or use e-mail. There is not always a computer or Internet access nearby.

In all these cases, you have to look for the appropriate salon. So opening a computer club would be a smart decision. In the near future, this idea will bring considerable income. If you are wondering whether it is worth opening a computer club, you can draw up a business plan and look at all the pros and cons of this business. This is a great opportunity to do something interesting.

The demand for computer clubs in small towns has decreased significantly. This type of business has prospects for development in large cities. It’s good when the population is at least 800,000 people. Such clubs will be actively visited by fans of Internet games.

Step by step plan

There is a business plan for a computer club, according to which certain work needs to be done. Only in this case can you count on profit. First, you have to think through the entire algorithm of your own actions. Here are step-by-step instructions that will help you quickly launch your project.

Procedure:

• Study competitors, clarify the size of the target audience
• Find a good location for the future club
• Register with the tax office, select OKVED codes
• Rent, renovation of premises
• Buy equipment and related materials
• Sign an agreement with the provider
• Find employees
• Attract visitors using advertising
• After a few months, analyze activities and improve weaknesses

Place

A well-drafted business plan for opening a computer club will allow you to receive a stable profit. It is important to carefully choose the location of the room. It is necessary to take into account that most of the clients’ premises are young people, students, and schoolchildren. They often have to copy educational material and print out work.

It makes sense to locate the club in a business location where there are no competitors. You can find a room near conference rooms and large hotels.

There is no point in opening a club in the city center. The main thing is that the place has a high traffic volume of people. In addition, there must be access to high-speed Internet. If an area has already been selected, you need to clarify which providers provide services there. More often, the problem of finding an Internet source occurs in a small locality.

Buying or simply renting premises is an individual decision of the entrepreneur.

Club premises

The selected premises must undergo at least cosmetic repairs so that the client feels comfortable staying. There must be high-quality finishing of the walls and ceiling.

It is necessary to purchase comfortable furniture. These are computer tables and chairs that will help organize a creative atmosphere. You can purchase non-standard furniture options.

Technical requirements for the premises

To accommodate 20 computers you will need an area of ​​50 square meters. m.

It would be good to have a climate control system and an emergency exit. A sanitary facility needs to be installed.

It must use high-quality electrical wiring. It is imperative to pay attention to the humidity indicator, since computer equipment is afraid of it.

The workplace must be allocated at least 4 square meters. meters.

Organization of the club project

Computer clubs can come in various formats. For example, a mini-computer club or a large Internet cafe. So, for a mini-club it will be enough to rent a small room designed for twenty computers.

Such a club will cost approximately $400 per month. The average income is about $200 from one computer. This is believed to be a profitable plan.

In large cities, it is cost-effective to create large clubs with a capacity of about 30-50 units of equipment. Depending on the location of the club, you can limit yourself to this or equip the club with a small cafeteria, air conditioning and separate personal rooms for solitary work. Such an establishment will cost more, but the income will be much higher. The cost of maintaining a workplace in an electronic cafe can even reach $2,000.

It is necessary to realistically consider the situation whether the plan is paying off. The process will happen slowly but surely. Moreover, if income increases gradually, the audience of club visitors gradually develops, then there will be no suspicions or doubts among the regulatory authorities.

It is worth considering a business plan for opening a small legalized computer club. In this case, expenses will be comparable to income and possible risks will be reduced several times.

It is best to locate a small club in a densely populated residential area. It is advisable to first carefully study the general plan of the area or a city map and pay attention to places where there are several schools nearby. The best option would be the conditional center of this area. This is indicated by the presence of a market or a busy intersection nearby. It’s good if there is a shopping center or free-standing shops nearby.

The premises should be located at a certain distance from residential buildings (naturally, not in the residential building itself), due to the fact that such clubs are sources of loud noise, especially in the evening and at night, which can cause a negative reaction among local residents. A disastrous option would be to place the club in the basement of a residential building.

Such a business will be unprofitable. Not only will there be a large number of ill-wishers represented by the residents of this house, but it is also almost impossible to obtain permission to host a club from the sanitary service and fire inspectorate.

The average cost of renting a room in a residential area is about $10 per sq. m. m. The plan for creating a computer business provides that for renting a premises with an area of ​​​​about 30 sq. m will need to pay up to $3,000 per year.

Equipment

This business idea of ​​opening a computer club will appeal to many entrepreneurs. To do this, you will need to purchase a suitable number of computers. Games will require equipment with high technical performance and sufficient performance. Don't skimp on software.

To provide additional services, you will need a photocopier, a printer and a recording device.

For profitable work, it is advisable to install 15 computers, which will allow serving a sufficient number of visitors. You shouldn't limit yourself to just computer games. It is also important to connect to high-speed Internet.

High-quality equipment requires serious financial investments. For the desired profit you need at least 10 computers with high efficiency indicators. The average cost of one unit is up to 70,000 rubles. You can save on purchases if you assemble the devices yourself. To do this, you need to purchase components and invite an experienced specialist.

Is it possible to use pirated software?

It is better to use legal software, which will avoid fines. This item requires an investment of money. There may be a desire to save money and install pirated programs, but during the first inspection facts of violation of the legal framework will be established. This will lead to the establishment being sealed. In addition, a substantial fine will be issued - up to 60,000 rubles or correctional labor will be assigned for 2 years.

Each program on the computer must be officially paid for. The use of such software will be an excellent advertisement for the club’s reputation and will indicate the reputability of the establishment. One licensed version will cost approximately 10,000 rubles.

Technical points

To fill the club with visitors, it is important to open it in places where the target audience gathers. The ideal location for such an institution would be proximity to schools, secondary and higher educational institutions, as well as large residential areas of the city.

For 20 seats you will need a room of at least 50 square meters. m. Among the key requirements: good ventilation of the room, minimal humidity and good electrical wiring that can withstand the high voltage and energy consumption of 20 powerful computers.

You need to choose the right equipment and computers. Under no circumstances should you save money on machines and buy inexpensive weak PCs, because... they simply won’t handle resource-intensive games and no one will come to you. Every home has an office option. The rule here is: “The miser pays twice.”

The establishment will also need to purchase a printer and scanner or MFP to provide additional services to clients, and purchase furniture to equip the computer area and the administrator’s work area.

Employees

To begin with, it’s tedious to decide whether the establishment will be open around the clock or not. This will affect the number of hired workers.

You definitely need to invite an administrator to work. He will communicate with clients. You can trust the administrator to manage the cash register. It is better to hire an assistant to provide additional services and prevent theft. Video surveillance greatly facilitates the work of employees.

The computer club must have a system administrator.

The cleaner will be able to maintain order in the entire room and individual rooms.

An accountant is invited to work with financial documents and prepare reports.

A computer club will require a security guard, because there is always a risk of theft of such expensive equipment.

Qualifications and responsibilities of employees

Additional services can be added to the system administrator's responsibilities. So, if you equip his workplace with a scanner, printer and copier (one unit can handle this task - a multifunctional device), you can add new services for working with text documents.

If you select qualified workers, you can easily include computer literacy courses in your plan. They will be very popular due to the greed of most employers - they need to improve the computer skills of their employees without sending them to paid courses. So people will be happy to attend such classes. Basic mastery of office applications and basic computer skills will be enough.

Another profitable area of ​​additional activity that a computer club can conduct is printing photographs and small printed products. The business plan provides for the availability of high-quality equipment. If the system administrator masters a graphic editor such as Photoshop (only lazy students do not know how to use it), then it is possible to provide services for the development of calendars and business cards with personal photographs and logos. In general, the computer club is a huge field of activity. You can develop endlessly, constantly expanding and improving the list of services provided.

As a result, the project’s profitability is slightly more than 33%. The amount of profit directly depends on the location of nearby competing establishments that provide similar services.

Demand for the services provided by the computer club has been stable for a long time. There are seasonal differences. For example, during the exam period, office applications, using the Internet, scanning, photocopying and printing text become very popular among students. And, on the contrary, during the holidays (summer, winter, spring) there is an increased demand for gaming offers. It is advisable to hold promotions affecting these services at a certain time. Such a business plan can quickly pay for itself and generate stable income.

Business registration

Find out what you need to open a computer club in your city. First you need to register with the tax service to receive an individual entrepreneur certificate. In cases where there is a business investor, it is better to open an LLC. The latter option will increase costs. In addition, there will be problems with reporting.

To register an activity, you need to pay a state fee, draw up a constituent agreement, and obtain permission from the antimonopoly authority and other authorities.

Required documents

If you want to open a computer club, you will have to cooperate with government agencies that control the activities of businessmen. Workplaces must meet SES standards. Employees of this service must study the level of electromagnetic radiation.

It is necessary to cooperate with representatives of the youth work department. This is due to the fact that schoolchildren should not spend much time in computer rooms.

When opening a club, you will have to obtain a large number of licenses and permits. You will need to know all the nuances of the legislative framework.

Since the activity involves the use of the Internet for profit, you need to obtain permission from the Ministry of Communications.

If you plan to work around the clock, you need to have a document from the local police department.

OKVED computer club

Depending on the selected OKVED code, the conditions for registering activities are selected. The classification currently lacks an item called “Computer Club”.

The optimal choice would be 72.60, 74.84, 93.05. Of course, in any case, it is better to consult a specialist. It will help you correctly evaluate the chosen activity and select the OKVED code.

How to attract clients?

To open a computer club, a business plan is required. To attract customers you will need advertising. This is one of the main tasks that a new entrepreneur faces. It must be taken into account that visitors will be made up of city residents, and in rare cases, guests.

Here are some ways to spread the word:

• Publications in local media. Newspapers and magazines never lose their relevance.
• Publications on the pages of local Internet resources. It is convenient to advertise your computer club through the World Wide Web.
• Word of mouth. Locals are quickly spreading the word.
• Loyalty program. You can periodically hold promotions and offer discounts.
• Maintain prompt communication with clients.
• Creating a cozy atmosphere.
• Reviews left on forums and social networks.

You can distribute flyers with information about the club and discounts. It is better to distribute them in places where young people gather.

You can post advertisements near educational institutions, in crowded places.

If visitors like the atmosphere in the club, they will be able to advertise it to their acquaintances and friends. This is one of the most effective ways to spread information.

Marketing and advertising

It is necessary to prepare in advance for the opening of a gaming club in terms of attracting customers. We will definitely post ads on paid and free boards, promote ourselves in city groups and gamer communities/forums. Offline, we will attract attention with the help of flyers and leaflets in places where the main target audience gathers.

Our goal is to attract as many regular customers as possible. They will, in turn, bring friends. The more full the club is, the greater the profitability and, as a result, the profit and return on investment of the organization.

We will distribute flyers near schools and at public transport stops to young people who could potentially become our clients. We will also place advertising flyers on minibuses in the area.

We will initially attract people with the opening of a new club, good computers and the first two weeks with discounts for the 5th player.

Advertising budget estimate:

Every month we will spend at least 20 thousand rubles on advertisements, groups, POS materials.

Price policy

Now you can find out whether it is profitable to open a computer club in the city. It is necessary to carefully select the cost of services that should be optimal for clients. The cost is influenced by the length of the visit, the time of the visit:

• 10 minutes will cost 30 rubles.
• 60 minutes – 120 rub.
• 20:00 – 8:00 – 700 rub.

It is better to raise prices gradually to attract regular visitors. Don't ignore stocks.

During the formation, the costs of electricity, Internet payments and other expenses are taken into account.

Development of a computer club

The next step is the development of the existing club. It is very important to provide a high level of service to earn trust and receive positive feedback from visitors.

For example, in order to attract regular customers, you can periodically hold online gaming tournaments and give out free hours of computer work as prizes. A good option would also be to create an honor board for tournament winners.

If you constantly invest time and money in your computer and gaming business, you can achieve its rapid and successful development. With some effort, you can achieve even in a small club an income of 150-200 dollars from one computer.

Over time, you can expand the club area and add several new services. For example, to expand your business, you can open two halls: one for young people, a playroom, the second for a more respectable audience, with a better interior and a calm atmosphere. It would be good if the establishment was equipped with a minibar. People can surf the Internet forever over a cup of coffee or cake. And the sale of food and drinks will be another, additional source of income.

Expenses and income

It's time to calculate how much it costs to open a computer club and what profit we can expect. Let's start with the costs of organizing an enterprise.

The success of a business depends on the number of visitors, and the number of visitors greatly depends on whether you choose a good place or not.

In order for the business to at least break even, we need to have two visitors every day who will spend one hour in your establishment. Of course, someone comes for 15 minutes, someone can hang out with you for 6 hours. On average, you should focus on a profit of 125,000 rubles per month. and payback 13 months.