21st Century Opportunity, shake hands with 20th Century Thinking.

New York Post:  Wi-Fi-using freelancers persona non grata at growing number of NYC cafes.

At first glance it all makes sense.  Camping at a table in such an establishment without making frequent and continued purchases does cost the proprietor revenue.  No one can rationally argue that.

But is the knee-jerk solution really the best one?  I mean, you throw out one customer and you have to go out and pull in another from somewhere.  And in New York City in today's economy, what are the chances that your new customer will just be one more freelancer?  See how you could just be starting a vicious cycle-chasing your tail in a race to the bottom?

Why not, therefore, look at the problem in a new light?  Wi-Fi has done its job by drawing in the customer; now it's your job to provide the range of services that will make his or her patronage profitable for you.  Obviously, lattes and sandwiches aren't cutting it.  How about turning some of the other things you offer into sources of revenue from these users?  Power, perhaps?  In fact, this might-just might, mind you-be one circumstance where going play-for-pay could possibly be a good idea.  A nominal monthly charge for "business" customers, which would cover your costs for power and bandwidth in return for perhaps a quiet place for them to work and collaborate, in conjunction with an incentive program to encourage more purchases, could go a long way toward turning what you see as liabilities into assets.

Of course, you have to be the forward-looking and forward-thinking sort in order to see people with the drive and energy to work for themselves as potential partners in your success, and want to partner with them in the quest for theirs.

So, just how many NYC cafe operators fall into that category? 

We shall see.