Going Into I-Café Business Legally

To the uninitiated, an i-café is also called internet café, cybercafé, computer shop, lanshop, and kompyuteran in the Philippines. I-Café business seems to be the most preferred venture that Filipinos enter into nowadays. But, how does one goes into it legally after he decides to enter the business.

1. Business Name Registration -Unless the owner is doing the business in partnership with other persons, the name of the i-café must be first registered with the Department of Trade and Industry as a single-owned business.
2. Business Permit – The owner must then secure a business permit from the local government unit (LGU) where his i-café is located.
3. BIR Registration – After securing the business permit, the owner must register the business with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for tax purposes.
4. SSS Registration – Whether or not he is already a member of the Social Security System (SSS), the i-café owner must register with the agency as self-employed if he will be operating the business alone by himself or as an employer if he will have somebody helping in running it.
5. Pag-Ibig Registration – While some LGUs do not require that business in the area be registered with Pag-Ibig, it is advisable that the i-café owner register with the agency.

It is only after going through the above procedures that an i-café owner can start legally operating his business. Of course, complying with the various rules and regulations of the agencies on which the business was registered will now be a mandated duty of the owner as a responsible member of the business community.