Internet & Lifestyle Café
Business Plan
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Jason Olivier, age 35, holds a degree in computer science (BSc IT) from the University of Pretoria. He graduated in 2001 and subsequently joined Design Data, where he progressed through various departments and projects – including assignments in Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritius, Singapore, India and Dubai. He is now the company’s Regional Manager for Gauteng.
However, due to lifestyle and family requirements, Jason has taken the decision to relocate with his wife and two young children to his original hometown of Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Cape. ‘Jay-Bay’ as it is often referred to, is located on the eastern seaboard about an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth. Known as a ‘hippie hangout’ in the 1960s and ‘70s, it has grown from a sleepy little fishing town to one of the fastest expanding urban areas in the country. It is one of the five most famous surfing destinations in the world and hosts the annual Billabong Pro ASP World Tour surfing event during July. It has a standing population of 35 000, which increases dramatically during holiday seasons and when surfing conditions are good. Due to its surfing and beach-related attractions, a large proportion of the population is aged under 35.
However, infrastructure development in the Jeffrey’s Bay area has lagged population growth. This includes internet connectivity which, like most Garden Route towns in the Eastern Cape, is inconsistent and patchy at best. Perhaps surprisingly, the town does not have an internet café to serve this need.
The basis of this business plan is to capitalise on Jason’s professional IT expertise of the past 10 years to establish the area’s first internet café to serve the needs of residents and the large floating tourist population. Recognising the seasonal peaks and troughs of tourism and the relatively small permanent population, the strategy is to increase the café’s appeal by offering additional ‘add-on’ and ‘lifestyle’ services such as computer/internet gaming, a coffee/snack bar, photocopying and fax facilities, information service for visitors, and basic computer repairs and maintenance.
