CoolShady wrote: I understand the supposed reason for it but it's just completely ****ing retarded. There are two people who want to start a business. One has been on the dole for quite some time, does nothing to help themselves out of the dole, i.e. finding a job and comes across this so they pull a business plan out of their ass, it's checked by some WINZ case manager or whoever who knows nothing about business and bingo, there's $5,000 for you. I'm trying to start my own business. I pay my taxes, I work full time and I have ever since I left school and as a young entrepreneur, I've worked my ass of to get together a business plan, do my market research, do my costs and projected profit but what's out there for me? Nothing. I don't even want $5,000, maybe $2,000 at max as a bit of a just in case but why can't I get anything? I understand the government can sit back and not care and say 'well, we put the money out there for for, we tried but you ****ed it up' but to have nothing for people that actually want to have a decent go of it is just the most ****ing retarded thing I've ever seen. There isn't even a decent mentor service out there from what I've seen. I'd be interested to see how many people have applied for it vs. how many successful businesses have come out of it.

Having lived with someone who was trying to get this Enterprise Allowance, it is by no means an easy task. You have to have business plans, projections, etc.. just as anyone would. They then have strict approval procedures. It is by no means a "bingo, there's $5,000 for you." scheme. The girl I was living with had folders filled with papers (i.e. lots of hard work) and had been trying for months. It's not given out freely.

CoolShady wrote: I don't actually need the money, I'm doing fine without it but it would be nice to know that there is at least something there

And again I ask, why should there be something there?

fretai03 wrote: And to those saying give up the pipe dream, its a horrible idea etc... Give my some actual evidence, not "no one goes to those things anymore cause they have internet at home" or "I've seen X number of cafes come and go"... I don't mind taking criticism but give me evidence to back up your opinions (some have, but others haven't).

I think it's fairly obvious that when you supply a commodity that is now in virtually every home that demand will fall. You can easily have upwards of 10 persons sharing a home broadband connection for a LAN and still have a lag free gaming experience. With smartphones and tablets also getting increasingly popular, as well as public wifi, a lot of people have access to the internet all day long.

http://www.caslon.com.au/cafenote.htm#australia

Quote: Low entry costs, inconsistent demand away from particular locations - notably tourist strips - and entertainment economics mean that the industry has been volatile. The life of many venues is short; the 'survivors' have emphasised food or game-playing ... or simply accepted low revenues.

Obviously it's hard to say exactly how much demand there is in your area...

Build a netcafe where there is UFB.

It was just announced today. Build one in that area. Get the highest plan.

People will come, 100%

What is your first name? Just wondering if I've met you.

Caprica is my current fav net cafe, although I've only gone a couple times.

H264 wrote: Caprica is my current fav net cafe, although I've only gone a couple times.

Thought they got bought out by new owners and closed down for a while? Are they back up and running?

Haven't read everything here, but starting a net cafe seems like a tremendous waste of a 3 year IT degree.

I think you would need a very unique new slant on the net cafe idea to really get going.

fretai03 wrote: And to those saying give up the pipe dream, its a horrible idea etc... Give my some actual evidence, not "no one goes to those things anymore cause they have internet at home" or "I've seen X number of cafes come and go"... I don't mind taking criticism but give me evidence to back up your opinions (some have, but others haven't).

The shoe is on the other foot TBH, you need to supply evidence as to why it will work.

If you were to say that you were thinking of jumping off a cliff with some palm leaves strapped to your arms and that you think this might eventuate in you slowly gaining altitude, we would almost certainly be correct in telling you that you would fall to a stony death. There is the possibility that you have woven your palm leaves proficiently and created an ingenious new flying apparatus in doing so, but the numbers don't look good.

In short, run the numbers, see what the outcome is and then come and tell us and the bank you are confident this thing will fly.

Respectfully, I don't need to supply anything in this thread (to those wanting numbers anyways). I have run the numbers and I would much prefer to put them in front of potential investors rather than here.

This thread was simply about finding out if it was possible to start a business with no money. Whether its a netcafe or trucking company etc was/is irrelevant from the original purpose of this thread.

As it is, GPers asked me what was the business idea so I answered. Then the thread took a turn (which wasn't the first)...

If your business plan is solid enough then sure its possible.

Starting one with no income or assets to secure against, maybe not so easy.

GorGasm wrote: If your business plan is solid enough then sure its possible.

Not when its an internet cafe.

There is no money to be made in them, its as simple as that.

I didn't say his plan was a good one lol.

If you think that starting your own business (especially something like what you described) will get you away from the '9-5 grind' you are dreaming. You will work longer hours, and work harder.

You may however, enjoy doing things because you want to (not because your boss tells you to).

Don't get it confused.

L@mer|2 wrote: If you think that starting your own business (especially something like what you described) will get you away from the '9-5 grind' you are dreaming. You will work longer hours, and work harder. You may however, enjoy doing things because you want to (not because your boss tells you to). Don't get it confused.

Yep, I do know. I answered the same thing earlier in the thread. Thanks!

fretai03 wrote: * pctek - I think I didn't explain myself well. I'm not afraid of long hours and hard work, but, I did grow a dislike for clocking in, in a regular job working for someone else who was getting paid off my hard work, that wasn't fulfilling for me. When I moved onto my family business I was doing 7am-9pm and loving it.

L@mer|2 wrote: If you think that starting your own business (especially something like what you described) will get you away from the '9-5 grind' you are dreaming. You will work longer hours, and work harder. You may however, enjoy doing things because you want to (not because your boss tells you to). Don't get it confused.

lol

difference between buying a business

and buying a job

working ON my business

working IN my business

I got the enterprise allowance. Happy to answer any questions.

To the OP, I might be able to help you out. PM'd

When I was in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I knew alot of people who used to live at net cafes. Just for the social experiance. One day we asked the manager to check everyones account and see how much they had spent.

Someone had spent over 25k$ over 4 years... It wasnt the only case. (Looked like he was going to cry). The cafe is the most sucessful net cafes in the country and is always full on weekends. People end up standing for 3-4 hours to find a place to play.

Warold wrote: When I was in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I knew alot of people who used to live at net cafes. Just for the social experiance. One day we asked the manager to check everyones account and see how much they had spent. Someone had spent over 25k$ over 4 years... It wasnt the only case. (Looked like he was going to cry). The cafe is the most sucessful net cafes in the country and is always full on weekends. People end up standing for 3-4 hours to find a place to play.

Being practical, is a lot of gaming done at home in UAE as it is done in NZ?

s0up2up wrote: Being practical, is a lot of gaming done at home in UAE as it is done in NZ?

Not really they tend to game at netcafes. But am not sure what its like here in NZ. Even thou they have fibre in most buildings. The only netcafe I go to here is Giga, in which if your not asian you get given a dirty look haha. But seems to be doing well. But I have seen places like in New Lynn that arent doing well at all even thou they are the only netcafe in the area.

Hmm seems you have to be very mindful of the suburb you are marketing too. Mate was thinking of doing a similar kind of thing down in Wellington. We didn't have a clue where it would get the most 'interested foot traffic' though.

To the OP. You have experience in IT and saying you are about to get a degree of some sort in IT, so you are obviously reasonably proficient.
Have you thought about other avenues within IT (But still being your own boss) ? Maybe consulting or something?

Personally I think the netcafe idea is far too much hard work and stress for little return, considering your skillset. I'm not saying it won't work and all the power to you if you do get one off the ground..it just seems a lot for a little.

Have you perhaps thought about asking around all your friends and families to see if their company needs an IT Support consultant?

I use to work for a 2 man band IT support company. They had a reasonable amount of small business as clients... something like 10-20. But he was easily earning enough money to be happy, and was working with computers all day.
If you can manage to increase your skill set to become proficient in a certain sector such as security or VM's, you can make silly money by consulting.

You obviously know your way around computers - don't restrict yourself.

te_chris wrote: I got the enterprise allowance. Happy to answer any questions.

Mind just giving us a brief run down of what you actually had to do to get it? Meetings, required documents etc.