Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Internet cafés help students meet school needs - cyber café owner
AS classes begin, some students will be tasked to do projects that may involve a trip to the nearest Internet café.
But as the City Government tries to limit the time students spend in these cyber zones, an Internet café company laments the misconception of some academic and public officials that Internet cafés are the “access (to) evil.”
Wayne Schofield, founder of Yeeha Internetan, a member of the Internet Café Association of Cebu (Icac), said notion is “old and outdated” as Internet cafés are fast realizing their roles as educators in the community.
“What we do to show that we are not just about taking money is simple. (In any of our cafés), one does not get to see game posters. We don’t place emphasis only on games. In fact, we keep all our cafes very clean and neat. We offer assistance to students in their projects,” Schofield told Sun.Star Cebu in an e-mail.
He said Internet cafés cannot stop students from cutting classes. But Internet café owners can ban children in their
establishments during school hours.
He pointed out, though, that children are better off inside Internet cafés than on the streets where they can get into “dangerous trouble.”
Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella, in a proposed resolution, urged Icac to assist in banning elementary and high school students from Internet cafés during school hours, except when they come with approval from school representatives.
But Schofield said he does not think the proposed measure will affect the revenues of Yeeha Internetan because the
company’s target customers are not students during school hours.
The company sees huge growth potential for its branches located in areas where there is a high percentage of families, businesses and schools that do not have computers or Internet connection.
“(Still), in order to (banish this notion), we work closely with barangay officials, the local police and the community to show that we care for their children’s education,” said Schofield whose sentiments are also supported by Yeeha Internetan’s vice president Sean Bellones.
Another concern that affects many Internet cafés is the “crazy price war.”
Schofield said other Internet café owners who know nothing about the business started the price war.
“If you have a good café, then you have a good product. Your customers will respect that. You may lose one or two customers but when you calculate the electricity usage, the body heat and PC heat generated as well as the strain on the AC (power), losing one or two (customers) is not going to hurt you,” he said.
Amid surging prices of fuel and other basic commodities, Schofield advises Internet café owners to run their “business as a business” and to realize that they are selling a product.
“More often than not, an owner will allow his or her family to get involved. When this happens, it’s (possible) that the family will take advantage so the owner will have to agree to lending his or her uncle (money) … or cousin free usage of Internet, and so on. Remember the golden rule is to realize that you sell a product. Your product is PC rental with Internet connection,” he said. (NRC)
