A Business Idea

GNYC · Oct 25, 2002

In Boca Chica I saw an Internet Cafe and I was wondering if a business such as this has potential for sucess in other areas of the Dominican Republic.

An Internet Cafe would include 6 to 8 computers at stations.
Tables and chairs where coffee, snacks and pastries could be served.

Additional services such as a mail receiving service like a Mail Boxes Etc. could be another addition.

Anybody think a business like this may work and if so where and why?

GNYC

Ken · Oct 25, 2002

GNYC said:
Anybody think a business like this may work and if so where and why?

Not in Sosua. It's already saturated with internet cafes. I'd be surprised if the same weren't true in other popular tourist areas.

AnnaC · Oct 25, 2002

Where do you get all those cartoons Ken?

lhtown · Oct 26, 2002

I confess, I don't get out enough. I suppose that Ken is probably right about the tourist areas. Here in Santo Domingo or in Santiago, a mixed business with other offerings besides internet might work. You would have to first pick your target customer (e.g. 19-17 year old university student) and then conduct a survey to see if that need has already been met or vice-versa. And then figure out if you can profitably fill that need. The mailbox combination seems to me to be a decent idea(there are already several couriers here in the capital.) If there was a way to be able to help a customer find a specific book and then order it for them, that would be an interesting service. For example, I was looking for a book on a particular aspect of Carribbean or Meditteranean architecture the other day. I couldn't find it here. If I could have browsed through a catalog at the bookstore and then had it delivered to me through my mail service, now that would be helpful. I know Amazon.com exists, but I doubt that they have it either. Perhaps the book just doesn't exist.

m65swede · Oct 26, 2002

GNYC said:
In Boca Chica I saw an Internet Cafe and I was wondering if a business such as this has potential for sucess in other areas of the Dominican Republic. Anybody think a business like this may work and if so where and why?

I spent some time in an Internet Cafe in Boca Chica last April and was not satisfied with the services provided. I stopped in simply to check my emails on Hotmail accounts. That part worked fine.

But I also wanted to send via email a handful of photos that I had shot in the DR. That effort proved to be so cumbersome that I was only able to complete a couple of them. The CD containing the photos could only be accessed through the administrator's computer. I had to sort through my photos on his machine, select the ones I wished to email, then he sent the selected photos to my terminal for transmission.

There's gotta be a better way.

Swede

frederic · Oct 30, 2002

Have any of you seen how the internet cafe concept is succesfully expanding in countries like Bolivia, Peru, some parts of Brazil? I haven't either, but i've been told by at least 2 travelers that the most succesfull cafes they have seen in theses areas are located in some of the poorest neighborhoods, precisely where people that cannot buy a computer but can pay a small fee, can access internet AND also use a computer for its other applications (word processing, spreadhseets, etc.)

Maybe that is most profitable niche, although maybe the least glamourous.

lhtown · Oct 30, 2002

I would be interested in knowing how they "bullet-proof" their computers. I imagine that most of us on this board have had someone else use our computer or install a program on purpose or inadvertently only to find out that it never works the same again until the next "clean install" of windows. I would think that the problem would only get worse with inexperienced people using/abusing the equipment. Perhaps they make a habit of doing a clean install of windows every so often. Frederic might have a good point though. Note that in this country the very poorest people cannot afford those services. Also, some basic computer classes offerred for a nominal fee might get a lot of people hooked. That type of service that Frederic mentioned would probably be most applicable to the lower middle/upper lower class in the Dominican Republic.

DRtechie · Oct 30, 2002

you can simply put an administrative lock on the computer to prevent anyone from installing programs or downloading unwated media. It's the same thing that companies do to protect their systems.

GNYC · Oct 30, 2002

Frederic, How much do you think someone in a poor neighborhood could afford or be willing to pay for an hour of computer use.

I like the idea about computer instruction for those who want to learn. It could even be provided free for the more serious customers.

Do you think the whole concept would grow or just fizzle out.

GNYC

Ken · Oct 31, 2002

I think the concept would grow; it could also be a very valuable service. Question is, however, whether the income would make it viable from a business standpoint.

Maybe you could find a Foundation in your home country willing to provide some funds. I think it is an exciting concept.

sjh · Oct 31, 2002

going rates outside tourist areas are as low as 50 pesos an hour last i checked.

There already are many of these businesses around. The owners dont appear to be getting rich, but they might be making ends meet.

m65swede · Oct 31, 2002

The hourly charge reported by sjh parallels my experience in Boca Chica last April. They charged $50RD per hour or $25 per half hour.

Everything was monitored and pretty much controlled by the administrator's console. We could only read and send email and surf the internet from the rental PC's. I wished to email some photos that I had taken in the DR and had burned onto a CD. There were no CD players installed in the "user" computers. I had to give my CD to the Admin, then choose the photos I wanted from his PC.

I suppose those controls are necessary to prevent some moron from crashing their system, but the inconvenience is considerable. I thought the cost was very reasonable, however, and will use their service to keep in touch with the folks at home during my next DR trip.

Swede

frederic · Nov 1, 2002

I checked some bolivian internet cafes and found prices for one hour use are between 3 and 7 Bolivianos which at the current exchange rate of 7.15 B to 1 USDollar = between 50cents and 1 US Dollar...which is between 10 and 20 Dominican pesos per hour, less than half of what it is here.

Jim Hinsch · Nov 1, 2002

The main internet cafe in BC has never shown a consistent profit and has changed hands several times. One needs many many terminals and high traffic to achieve enough critical mass for it to be profitable. Also, there is no DSL available in Boca Chica yet. The cafes are using dial-up lines and software that combines them.

arturo · Nov 8, 2002

The DSL availability for Boca Chica quoted here may not be up-to-date. With respect to the telephone number of the Boca Chica internet business (either one) Codotel says:

El servicio de Internet Flash est? disponible en su ?rea de residencia.
Por favor, haga click para completar en l?nea el formulario de solicitud
de prueba de distancia del servicio o llame al 220-1111

rough translation: it's available in your area, apply on line here or call the number shown

It might be wrong, you should check all information you see on the internet, including that which appears on this site.

Jim Hinsch · Nov 9, 2002

Thanks Arturo. It would be great news if this was the case. I'm going to check it out.

Maiko · Nov 12, 2002

Unless?

Someone knows how to beat that!!! Be carefull...

DRtechie said:
you can simply put an administrative lock on the computer to prevent anyone from installing programs or downloading unwated media. It's the same thing that companies do to protect their systems.

sirkusartisten · Jan 4, 2003

Very good, but why dont You sell them cheap computers instead? A used Pc in Norway is just under 100$ Finance it for them, on lets say 6 months. And take some risk.
Tom

andy a · Jan 5, 2003

In Santiago, flash connections are as little as 30 pesos per hour and dial up for 20/hr.

But no matter what happens in Brazil, Peru, or Haiti, don't bet on the Dominican masses catching on to anything involving education, etc.

rafael · Jan 14, 2003

Yes, DSL in Boca would be great. At one point Mario said they were installing DSL and then the next week he said it wasn't available.

I think the future trend is wireless. If one owned a beach bar which was wired with some WAPs, and you let people know they could bring their laptops and have high speed net access. . . .. . . .. . . you'd most likely attract some relatively "upscale" clientele. I have already told Darren of Portofino's that when he renovates, if he adds dsl, I'll buy him a WAP! Sitting on the beach, drinking beer while "working" is my goal!

A Business Idea

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