| Since you got here, I am assuming you run or | | | | about what do you do in a day-to-day activity. |
| want to run a cyber café and you are asking | | | | You browse the Internet, write some documents, |
| yourself, what cyber café management | | | | spreadsheets or process pictures. That's about |
| software you need. | | | | it. It's not so different for anybody else. |
| I mean, it's only logical to give your clients access | | | | Lots of companies replace old computers with |
| to the Internet... | | | | new ones and sell out old lots for peanuts. These |
| You already got them sitting at your place and | | | | are still good, solid computers. Most of them are |
| most of the time you do have Internet | | | | 2-3 years old. |
| connected to your place anyway for all sorts of | | | | Here is one ninja trick to buy good, used |
| reasons. | | | | computers. Go to eBay, then navigate to Buy > |
| So since you have it, why not get some extra | | | | Computers & Networking > PC Desktops. Now, |
| money from it, right? | | | | type "computers lot" or "computers bulk" in a |
| Let us start by asking ourselves exactly what do | | | | search term, press enter and feast your eyes on |
| we need cyber café management software | | | | a lot of cheap computers. Of course, you need to |
| for? What do you have to manage and why? | | | | use discretion when buying. Ask the seller if they |
| Of course, I am not talking about billing your | | | | have checked every one of the machines |
| clients for their meals and purchases, that is a | | | | individually. Most of them do, so you will not have |
| completely separate area. | | | | a problem. |
| Many computer users are not computer literate | | | | This tip alone will save you a lot of money and |
| enough and can do damage to your operating | | | | time, but we can take it further. |
| systems out of pure curiosity, or sometimes | | | | If possible, find something local. Limit your eBay |
| even intentionally. | | | | search to your locale. What you can do then is: |
| To restrict access to your operating systems, it | | | | |
| is important to make certain that you protect all | | | | 1. Go and inspect your computers yourself before |
| the computers and that you control access to | | | | you buy them and, |
| any important features in some way. | | | | 2. Save good money on shipping charges. |
| Also, it would be a very nice feature, if you can | | | | Packaging and sending 20 computers to you will |
| charge your users for the time they use your | | | | come to a pretty large sum, which you can easily |
| computer. | | | | avoid if you just go local. |
| Some, just do a flat rate. A one-for-all charge, | | | | This in itself will save you a lot of money, but |
| that gives you unlimited time at a computer. | | | | that is not all, let me also help you save some |
| This, however, will not solve the following | | | | time in the process. |
| problems: | | | | Your computers will arrive mostly empty. It's just |
| | | | boxes with nothing installed on it, save perhaps |
| 1. Fair use. I mean, it's only fair if somebody uses | | | | the operating system. |
| your computers more, they should pay more, | | | | If you have 20 boxes to install all at the same |
| right? | | | | time, it will take you a week. Today, we do not |
| 2. This is a biggie... You can not maximize this area | | | | do things manually. Since you listened to my |
| of the business. You have a limited number of | | | | advice, all your computers are now the same. |
| computers. Once they are all taken, a person can | | | | Now, all you need to do: |
| sit there all day, because he paid once. You may | | | | |
| have some other people in line, but what do you | | | | 1. Take just one computer out of your pack |
| tell them? "Sorry, we do not have any free | | | | 2. Install the operating system if it's not there |
| workstations. We have nowhere to fit you". A | | | | 3. Install café management program |
| good, paying customer is gone. | | | | 4. Install all the software you need for your clients |
| 3. You have no way of predicting when any | | | | (click on a link below to get suggestions on what |
| workstation will become free. You have a café, | | | | you need and where to get it for free) |
| so your clients can wait a minute or two, no | | | | 5. Make sure you have everything set up and |
| problem, since they are eating anyway. If you | | | | updated to the latest version. Once you are |
| know, that a certain PC will free up really soon, | | | | happy and everything works... |
| you can tell it to the client, but if you do not have | | | | 6. Use an "image" software to create "image" of |
| any cyber café management software installed, | | | | your disk on one computer and burn it to DVD, |
| you will have no way to do it. | | | | flash drive or hard disk (also explained in the link |
| 4. You cannot control what web sites your clients | | | | below) |
| visit. This is a public environment. There could be | | | | 7. Now plop this DVD into every one of your |
| kids there. If they go and visit whatever they | | | | computers and "roll out" your "Image" to all 20 |
| want, you as the owner may have problems. | | | | computers in a matter of minutes. |
| Cyber café management software will solve | | | | 8. Save this "image" DVD somewhere safe. Any |
| these problems for you as an Internet café | | | | time you buy a new computer or your old |
| owner. Granted, that is not all it will be doing, but | | | | computer breaks down, you just overwrite |
| these are the major 4 components. | | | | everything from the fresh image and it's just as if |
| Now, let me show you how to start with turning | | | | you have just installed it fresh from the press. |
| your PCs into a money generating machine. | | | | If you spend 5 hours installing one computer, |
| First off, let us bust a myth, that you need | | | | installing 20 will take you 100 hours to do manually. |
| special computers for that. A lot of my clients do | | | | This way, you can do each one it under 10 |
| use just any regular PC. PC's they found at an | | | | minutes, which will take you a total of 3 hours or |
| auction or bought cheap in a bulk. | | | | less (savings of 97 hours) and you will also have a |
| Let me tell, you... unless you are specifically running | | | | "clean image DVD" which you can use anywhere |
| a gaming Internet café, your clients will not | | | | at any moment. |
| need any horse power from your machines. Think | | | | |