Internet Cafe Business Plan

A-Level: Business Studies

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Customers
The target customers for LIC [Loughborough Internet Café] can be divided into two groups. The first group is familiar with the Internet and desires a progressive and inviting atmosphere where they can get out of their offices or bedrooms and enjoy a great cup of coffee. The second group is not familiar with the Internet, yet, and is just waiting for the right opportunity to enter the online community. LIC’s target market falls anywhere between the ages of 18 and 80. This extremely wide range of ages is due to the fact that both coffee and the Internet appeal to a variety of people.
LIC’s unique selling point is the fact that it tends to cater to people who want a guided tour on their first spin around the Internet and to experienced users eager to indulge their passion for computers in a social setting and also being able to have refreshments too. Furthermore, LIC will be a great asset for people who have email at work but not at home, and if they are not at work and need to access it if it is of urgency and also for people just shopping who want to check their email messages in a friendly atmosphere. These professionals will either use LIC’s PCs, or connect there laptops to the provide internet connections [Provision will be made on the laptop’s connecting so that the network will not be at risk from hackers or viruses or people trying to abuse the facilities] Printing, photocopying and fax facilities will also be available
LIC’s target market covers a wide range of ages: from members of generation E who grew up surrounded by computers, to the older generation who have come to the realization that people today cannot afford to ignore computers.


Aims:
The aim of the internet café within the first year is to
• Gain a good reputation
• Provide a good service of internet







SMART OBJECTIVES

My specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time specific objectives are the following;

• To achieve a footfall of 15, 000 people in the first year

• Targets sales revenue of £70, 000 in the first year

• Break even within the first 6 months

Ownership
For the internet café I will be the sole trader. Being a sole trader has many advantages, I believe by being one I am able to give a more personal service to my customers and also if I feel it is necessary to make change within the business very quickly, I am able to do so. Furthermore I will have complete control over the business and its profits and also use any money the business brings in as I would like to without having to justify my reasons to anyone.
So overall:

The main advantages of setting up as a sole trader are:
• Total control of the business by the owner.
• Cheap and easy to start up – few forms to fill in and to start trading the sole trader does not need to employ any specialist services, other than setting up a bank account and informing the tax offices.
• Keep all the profit – as the owner, all the profit belongs to the sole trader.
• Business affairs are private – competitors cannot see what you are earning, so will know less about how the business works and how it succeeds.


The reasons why sole traders are often successful are:
• Can offer specialist services to customers – e.g. appliance repair specialists.
• Can be sensitive to the needs of customers – since they are closer to the customer and will react more quickly, because they are the decision makers too.
• Can cater for the needs of local people – a small business in a local area can build up a following in the community due to trust – if people can see the owner they feel more comfortable than if the owner is in some far off town, not able to hear the views of the local community.




The main disadvantages of being a sole trader are:

• It could be difficult for me difficult to raise finance banks will not lend me large sums of money
• If I become ill then this could be a problem in the running of the business

Key Personnel
The people who run the place on a day to day basis will be myself and family members. We will share opening hours. At the start of the business I will be working both weekdays and weekends. This will be so I can become familiar with the customers I am attracting and can get a good overview of how the business runs and the pro’s and cons. After the first few weeks or possibly months depending on the time it will take me to gain the information I need I will then work on weekends and also the busy days of the week [these days will be decided after we know more about how the business is running] When I am not working my family members will work. We will be able to attend to all duties such as manager, all the way to cleaning the premises. This way we can keep expenses down and also many other time consuming activities involving employees can be avoided.
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