Cybercafes are among the best paying businesses in Kenya. This is because many government services are nowadays being accessed online making people to visit cybercafes more to access the services.

Below are some of the services that are offered in cybercafes:

Photocopying

Printing

Scanning of documents

Typesetting

Lamination of documents

Registering of Kra pin certificate

Filing of returns

Renewal of driving license

Application of Provisional Driving License (pdl)

Test booking

Passport application

Appling driver PSV license

Applying a conductor PSV license

Doing a motor vehicle search

Doing a driving license search

Let’s look at some of the devices, equipments and machines that you will need to buy to start a cybercafé

1.    Computers- they are the backbone of a cybercafé. They will be used for browsing and achieving other tasks. A second hand desktop computer costs around Kshs. 15,000. The number of computers to purchase will depend on the size of the cyber you want to start. For a small size cyber, five computers are okay. Four for browsing and one for admin activities.

2.    Printer-the printer will be used for printing and photocopying of documents. It is also used for scanning of documents. A small Epson printer costs around Ksh 20,000

3.    Photocopier- the photocopier is used to photocopy documents. The thing with a photocopier is that it is faster in photocopying compared to a printer. You can get a Canon photocopier with  Ksh 60,000.

4.    Laminator- the laminator is used to laminate documents. Laminated documents stay new for a long time and that is why many graduates like to laminate their certificates to remain new and protect them from getting damaged in case water or any fluid is spilled on them. A laminator costs around Kshs 8,000.

5.    Paper cutter- its used to slice papers to the desired size. You will also use it to cut passport photos to the desired size. A paper cutter costs around Ksh 2,000.

6.    Router- a router is used for internet connectivity. There are many router brands in the market. You will get a good one with Ksh 5,000.

7.    Camera- a camera is required in a cybercafé for passport size photos taking. Camera prices vary depending on the number of mega pixels. You can get a good camera with Kshs 20,000.

8.    Chairs- the chairs will be sat on by clients as they browse. A plastic chair cost around Kshs 650.

After you have purchased the above devices, equipments and machines, you would look for a strategic place to open your cybercafé.

Below are some of the things to consider when choosing the location of your cybercafé:

1.    Near learning institutions- this is to attract students who want to photocopy notes and print assignments for marking.

2.    Near a building with a lot of offices- as usual, offices do a lot of photocopies and printouts and their staff can be your customers if you situate your business near them

You will need a computer technician to set up the computers and network them for sharing resources like printers and internet access. This can cost you around Kshs 15,000

You will also need a cybercafé attendant to work in the cyber café. This will be someone with the necessary skills to run a cybercafé. The minimum qualifications would be someone with a certificate in computer packages and good typesetting speed. It would be better if you can get someone with experience who has already worked in a cyber café before and understands all the jobs well.

Last but not the least you would need a business permit to run the cyber. Get in touch with the local authority of the place you are opening your cyber to know more about how to acquire the permit. It should cost you around Kshs 5,000.