Pick a Location for an Internet Cafe continued

Another major requirement (or not, depending on which services you'll offer) is a kitchen. This can be a huge moneymaker, but it can also be a huge headache. Kitchens and foodservice require health inspections, and health inspections are notorious for being time-consuming and then suddenly eating up half of your entire startup budget. But if you want to serve food, you will need at least a decent sized sink, counter space, storage space, a hook-up for a refrigerator, and preferably a good-sized oven. Having a grill is also an excellent addition, as it means you can now make warm sandwiches and other offerings.

If your site is just not at all equipped to serve food, but you want to do that for extra income, do not panic. There are two excellent ways to get around not having a kitchen. The first is vending machines. These can be excellent money makers for you, and with just 12 or so feet of wall space you can put together a nice selection of snacks and drinks. Just be sure to allocate about $1500 per vending machine into your startup budget.



Another way to fake a kitchen is to serve prepackaged foods. With a little counter space, you can offer three big carafes -- one of regular coffee, one of decaf and one with hot water. Get some teas and packaged sugar and single serving milk containers and some slices of lemon and you've got a little coffee bar. Add some plastic wrapped cookies, muffins and even some sandwiches chilled in a portable cooler and you're on your way to having a little lunch bar. You can put all this together yourself, or find a home bakery or local lunch shop that is willing to handle your food serving. This lets you outsource all the food prep, and gives the local cafe or home baker a great new sales channel. The internet cafe owner and the business doing the food prep typically share the sales, often in a 20/80% split.

Your cafe may not require it, but if you are going to have people coming to you by car, another essential is good parking space. In an urban area this may not be possible, or necessary, but some cafes in small towns or even in rural areas will need enough parking so there customers don't start thinking of it as being a hassle. Make sure your lease spells out your parking rights.

Also be sure you ask your prospective landlord about what you can do in terms of hanging a sign, and if you can extert any control over who your neighbors will be over the years. Having a compatible business next door can be extremely helpful. Bookstores, bakeries, and other services that may require waiting are excellent (an auto repair place would do nicely, but keep the fumes out of your space), but that may not always be what you get. Make sure you have the option of approving or disapproving any new rental neighbors, or you might find yourself yearning to move.

As you begin negotiations with a prospective landlord, it really is a good idea to have a real estate lawyer review the rental agreement. This will cost you $150-300, but it is money very well spent. Even the nicest landlord can become a problem, and having your rental agreement looked over may save you thousands of dollars down the road. If nothing else, it will sent a professional message to your new landlord, and let them gently know that it is in their best interest to play fair.

Also do not forget to have your entire rental agreement contigent upon the space passing a building inspection. You can also negotiate to have certain renovations or improvements done as a condition or your signing the lease. This might be a great opportunity to get new windows put in, or have a nice paint job and new carpets installed. Some landlords really understand that improvements to the property help you and them, and they'll be quite generous.

While you are doing all your prep work to make sure your new location is as good as it looks, take the time to call your local police department and see what the crime stats are for the area. If the news is bad, you can discuss having a security system and good night-time lighting installed with your landlord. Or you can just enjoy the peace of mind that your space is actually quite safe.