How To Start A Game Centre Business In Kenya

For ‘young’ people, starting your very own business and becoming self employed is the most suitable alternative to the ever growing hard to get 9 to 5 jobs. Starting a business is always the best alternative to the ever elusive jobs.

A survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed that seven (7) million Kenyans are unemployed. An additional figure of over 1.4 million are actively looking for employment. With those figures, it is easy to see why more and more people are looking for alternatives.

Because we know very many business ventures require huge amounts of capital to get started, this new How To series will only show you how to start and execute several small business that require capital from as little as 5,000 Kenyan Shillings. Thus giving you the keys to the kingdom of starting a profitable business with little or no capital.

If you are also just looking for a side hustle to maybe supplement your 9 to 5 or full time job, this is for you.

All that you need to thrive in these businesses besides capital, is good customer service of course, great managerial skills, a suitable business location, and a clear cut vision.

Today’s article will show you how to set up a Game Centre business in Kenya. While this is not exactly a 5,000 Kenyan Shillings capital business, I am sure you would agree that this is also a very viable option.

Playing video games has grown to become a rather popular way of passing time or relieving stress, especially among today’s youth. A size able portion of The Kenyan population is joining the gaming community, resulting in a new market that is ripe for the plucking.

How To Start An Game Centre Business In Kenya

How much do you need to start a Game Centre business? What paperwork, and or equipment are you required to have in Kenya? If you are considering this option, here is everything you will need to kickstart your Game Centre business in Kenya.

1. A Location. As with most businesses, a good location is one of the major factors that determine whether or not your Game Centre will succeed. Look at spaces within estates; especially busy estates. Due to the fact that majority of your customers will be 30 years old and younger, you should look into spaces around schools, colleges and universities. Also make sure that the location you settle on, is very secure to avoid and deter issues of theft.
2. Decide on your products. While the gaming world seems like One thing from the outside looking in, it is actually broken down into the PlayStation, Xbox and PC worlds mainly. As a result of this, you will need to make a decision on the consoles that you would use in your Game Centre.
3. Capital. Just like with any other business venture, you would need Capital. For the Game Centre business, the capital required is dependent on two factors. These factors are the type of equipment purchased, and the amount of customers you would be serving. For example, a Game Centre with no fewer than Five gaming consoles and five TV sets in addition to a number of games, would cost around 300,000 Kenyan Shillings. The popular games in Kenya; the Xboxes and PlayStations have different prices. A PlayStation 4 with a storage capacity 500GB costs around 40,000 Kenyan Shillings. A PlayStation 2 on the other hand, is 10,000 Kenyan Shillings. Consoles with smaller storage capacities as well as older models, of course cost much less. The prices for the actual games vary and can cost anything from 2,000 Kenyan Shillings, to as much as 5,000 Kenyan Shillings per game. You can however, buy used games from a social site, called the Kenya Gaming Network which is basically an online gaming community, for much cheaper prices. You can also check online stores like Jumia Kenya and OLX. For Television sets, the ideal TV size for gaming, is 32 inches and above. Television sets in this range, will give your customers, a much better gaming experience. A brand new 32 inch television set costs around 15,000 Kenyan Shillings to 35,000 Kenyan Shillings depending on the particular brand. Keep in mind that you can however bring down the prices drastically, by buying fairly used equipment and or starting out in a smaller space and of course using less than a five gaming console set up.
4. Employ More hands. No one is an island, you really cannot carry out all the daily activities of a Game Centre business efficiently, on your own. Hiring a couple of your buddies or external parties altogether to help you handle the day to day activities of the gaming centre, might be a good idea.
5. Additional Services. You might also want to add more services like refreshments for sale and maybe even a movie shop, to keep your customers engaged.
6. Comfort. Make sure that the chairs in your Game Centre are comfortable, as most gamers tend to go on for hours at a go.
7. Secure the Necessary Licenses and Business Permits, As Well As Insurances. You are required by law to acquire a business permit before starting any business in Kenya. Please ensure that you get in touch with the necessary authorities who issue the business permits and licenses. Doing this will show that you abide by guidelines for the business operations in Kenya. These licenses also include a license from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), and it costs between 15,000 Kenyan Shillings to 35,000 Kenyan Shillings depending on the size of your business and the county where you are based.

And that is it! All you need to know about starting your very own Game Centre business.

Is the Game Centre business suitable for you? That question, is left for you to think on and answer. This writer’s goal is to open your eyes to the various entrepreneurial opportunities that abound in the country.

Also while the prospects are very promising please have a realistic approach as well. As with any business, there is a chance that you might incur losses. Especially at the beginning. The majority of your potential customers which will be students, will mostlybe busy with school, so they may not be as regular as you hope. Therefore, keep your overheads low.

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