Friend wants a LANgaming center

[falconwind]

Hello, all, we need some advice.

One of my friends is interested in starting a LAN gaming center. His uncle has the lease to a place about 15 ft by 35 ft (very approximate probably a bit larger), and has no use for it. We're only gonna sell bottled drinks and packaged snacks. We don't know how many machines we will have, and right now, it's very sketchy. The location is at a large strip mall with a Starbucks and a Radioshack flanking it. There is a London Drugs, a Save-On-Foods, a Boston Pizza, a Rogers Video, a McDonalds, and a Library all in the same complex, so there is plenty of people. There are no other LAN gaming centers for at least four miles.

If we do get this project off the ground, we think it wll be a success, but therein lies the problem. We don't really know the nuances of starting a LAN gaming center.

So, do any of you gaming gurus have any experience with this? Know where we can find out? Any advice or pointers would be much appreciated!

Thanks for reading. :cheers:

 

[Neutrino]

I don't have any experience or advice to really give, but best of luck in getting it off the ground. :cheers:

 

[63]

http://www.onepc.net/index.php?view=docs&doc_id=75

 

[^Ben]

Yes

If there are no internet cafe's around make it into a internet cafe.

More profitable.

If you need help i will post tommorow(but you do really need a firm buisness plan other wise it's going down in failure)

Lan center not party. So much more involved.

 

[63]

Lan center not party. So much more involved.

Same basics.

 

[^Ben]

networking and power requirements thats it.

getting the network is about %5 of the actual work involved.

Apart from that nothing is the same.

 

[falconwind]

Yes

If there are no internet cafe's around make it into a internet cafe.

More profitable.

strictly internet cafes have a tendency to die here. (the theory is that most people just go to the gaming centers instead, unless they have to do work, in which case they go to the library and use the computers for free) there was one inside the London Drugs that went out of business recently. Besides, there's a Starbucks right next door, so a cafe (as in coffee) is out of the question. We could serve food as well, but if we do, we'll have to get a restaurant license and have health inspections, ectera. Unless I'm wrong. Also the place is somewhat on the small side, so space is at a premium if we want 32 computers.

 

[63]

networking and power requirements thats it.

getting the network is about %5 of the actual work involved.

Apart from that nothing is the same.

It's the exact same.. the only difference is that:

A lan party is temporary

A lancenter is permanent (hopefully )

You have to do and aquire the exact same things..

 

[^Ben]

Ok well first up you need to get a solid buisness plan together.

Search for some templates on the web.

 

[^Ben]

Woah Woah.

First up software licensing is an issue.
Time keeping software for the actual machines.
Staff.
Anything you need from the council.
Food drinks.
Patches.
PC's
Maintenence of PC's
Air Con.
Noise.
Accountancy.
Hours of operation.
And a whole host of different things.

 

[DJ_Cheeba]

Talk to an accountant and a lawyer, find out what paperwork you need to fill out in order to register in the town/state/province or whatever. You will need to outline your business for your own sake, so you do not stray too far from what want to accomplish. Look a into somekind of government grants and such, maybee even pitch it as a place where kids can go as an alternative to hangin on the streets. Dont forget business insurance! ! ! This is the first step. Also maintinence/upgrades on the PC's can probably be written off as a "business expense" talk to your accountant and see what else you could fit in as a "business expense" because it is lees $$$ out of your pocket at the end of the year. (After 5 years at the same computer shop as a manager I am starting a Computer contracting business myself as we speak) Ill give you any advice I can