Hello guys and gals,

I was thinking about this after reading a different thread where someone mentioned how many hosts they'd been with and their bad experiences with those hosts ultimately led to them starting a hosting company to do it better.

The reason we got into hosting was much the same. We'd just gotten through with a horrid experience with 9NetAvenue (not sure if anyone even remembers them) where they couldn't solve the most obvious of problems (an employee playing games on the server starting after normal business hours each day), tried to cover it up, refused to honor their money back guarantee, and generally ignored us. That convinced us that if a hugely successful company (at that time) could pawn off such barf as hosting that we could be quite successful if we ethically provided a high quality service.

I see service complaints like that leading to new hosting companies being formed on a regular basis. I'm curious if part of the reason there are so many hosting companies is that there is a hidden epidemic in the customer service and technical support departments of many of the larger hosts.

So how about the rest of you? If there was a deciding event that prompted you to start a hosting company, what was it? If you just got into it for the money, I guess that's an acceptable answer too because I know not all hosting companies were started to better the world.

I like building the server :)

World domination here ;) I mean....

In 100% honesty I felt it was a low cost way to make a lot of money fast (which I learned quite quickly was not the case). I stayed with it because I love working in the hosting industry. I enjoy almost every aspect of web development so hosting is a natural path to take for me.

world domination eh? Can I be your sidekick and rule Hawaii? *does the evil sidekick laugh* :evilb:

I started HTTPme for the money. It then became a consuming passion, which eventually became a house. :gthumb:

I'm building my current business because I'm passionate about creating a truly great brand. The money is secondary to the brand creation process.

There were several reasons for me.
1. As a developer, I needed more control over the servers and the ability to install custom components.
2. I was also disappointed with the lack of security in some of the hosts customers would choose.
3. It is one of the few businesses that I can get in to, that allows me to work from anywhere.
4. The recurring income works for me.

I started because a local graphic design company had started to branch out into webdesign and asked me to recommend a hosting provider for them. I looked into a bit and decided I can offer them a great service and would enjoy the new challenge, so rather than passing the cash on to someone else I suggested it to them and it suited us both.

My story is much like everyone elses. I was a big eBayer (back when the market was hot) and was sick of the service I received from other hosting companies, when it came to my important auction images. So I decided I would host them myself. I ended up reselling hosting from a reseller account, and now I have several dedicated servers.

Im just starting out, but for me it involves a few different reasons:

first, im starting a web dev. business as well, and having the hosting option to offer to clients will take off a little stress off them and make my services a little more attractive.

Second, i like challenges. And i think being able to start and run a business successfully is a huge challenge. I will feel good about myself years from now knowing that i was able to do something that very few people have the guts to get into.

Third, my ex girlfriend thought i was a loser cuz i wasnt the brightest bulb in school, and that i have no desire to be a doctor. Its just more motivation for me to try that much harder to be successful and show her that she's wrong. Not that it matters now anyways.....

Well, the back story, is mainly, I had a host who decided to stop charging me and start deleting my tickets. This was frustrating. :)

Then... I got to thinking. I'd been working with linux machines since 95-96. I knew most of what was needed, but I didn't have the business sense.

So... I ended up meeting my current business partner, and things took off from there.

What heeps me going? Two things mainly.

One of my core life philosophies is, that we are here to help other people. Our lives are not merely our own. Everything we do affects others, either directly or indirectly. And I wanted to do something where I felt I could affect many people, both directly, and indirectly. I'm a pretty good admin, and a pretty good programmer, so keeping with the hosting and development side of things seems the perfect place to attain my goals of helping people out. WebOnce lets me help people directly (our clients), and indirectly (those who visit the sites of our clients, our client's families... the list goes on). At the end of the day, I can sleep well, because I know I did my part in making the world a better place. It's not saving starving people in africa, but then, I'm not a farmer. I'm using my talents where I can to help those I can. :)

The other reason, is when I do finally settle down and start a family... I want to be there. Sure, I'll still have to work, but I can work from home. I can play games with my kids, watch a movie with my wife, and still be a couple footsteps away from the office if I am needed. There are downsides, sure. Working 80+ hours a week isn't something that most people enjoy, and honestly, sometimes it kinda gets me down, but I can see what I am building, and I know my goals for the future. I want to be there to watch my kids take their first step... say their first word... ride their first bike. It's something I've known for a long time.. and hosting gives me a way to do that.

This ran a bit longer than I thought it would, but it's just how I feel, and I hope others feel the same way. The money is a means to an end. Money only matters up until you can pay all the bills. It won't buy you happiness, but it will save you some trouble. :D

Aussie Bob, c'mon, we know you just wanna be around your flock. :D I'm sure the Missus loves all the children too, but would probably go mad without you to help out with them! :D

Same old story here.

I was into design work, got bad hosting experience from quite a few companies, secondly many a time we had to invest on hosting while working on a project that client would pay on finalisation but midway due to some reasons if the project get cancelled client refused to pay.

Hence after giving much thought to it we started with reseller account, and today apart from hosting we are providing server management and inhouse corporate solutions like network security, mail solutions, storage solution, AS2 implementation, secure communication, VPN, corporate SMS solution etc. to local clients.

i started one for the money but i didnt make much but now its different for me

For me it was a gradual change.

I started off with 1 personal website, then a few. Addon domains didn't exist yet so I was eventually paying for several hosting accounts. I then got a reseller account for my own use because it was cheaper. At that point I started doing some studying and a few months later decided to get my own server and host some friends sites as well as my own, still just for fun.

I was happy doing home renovations for a living at that time, but then started having back problems so I did some preparation for my new business and a few months later, went public.

I'm still not making quite as much as I did with renovations, but my back is much happier. ;)

I started it cause I had enough of the bad hosts I was customer of & I wanted to increase my knowledge with server installation & management. I didn't start it for the money, but I'm not saying it's not welcome ;)

Long long time ago i was eating banana:banana: << it looked something like that.
I was also watching the tube at the same time and it had some show about :deer: and i got so bored that i pluged in my :homer: DVD to cheer me up a bit, but alllllllas it wasnt meant to be, so i started to get a bit :puke: watching tube and still eating my 45th :banana: ( i think i got little :puke: cause i was feeling hungry still). So i decided to come visit wht ( ijoined wht long before i started hosting or was it like 2 days before lol) .

Anyways i join wht and see lots of people here talk about hosting and how crappy other hosts are , so i thought lets check whats this hosting deal is as i love to learn new stuff daily and hence to learn the tactics and try my luck in hosting buisness i went to godaddy and bought domain a1whs.com than i was like what should i do with that domain so searched for few hosts on wht and there was one guy who helped me start up his name was nick :) and strange enough like the 2nd day or something i got my first customer cause i do support (well not officially ) on various forums like phpbb and integramod (well i had been admin and modder of various forums (yup started doing that in the same way i started hosting thingy)).

Well that was like i think back in september and ever since than i was with steadfast ( to be frank i never even heard of name or lunarpages or dreamhost before) so had no clue what steadfast was . But i took risk and it paid off i guess.

By the time i was eating my 150th :banana: i had my hosting company up and running :). Thats my story of how it all started (i have omitted few details if someone is interested in the full story, i can i suppose, write a 20 page blog for the same) :uzi:

Before getting myseld into web hosting business I never thought that will be the place where I ultimately land myself but anyways so far its a great experience.

My story is more like learning from other mistakes. My first host was terrible and when I left him I never thought for a moment to start my own business. It is when I associated myself with a company which provide solutions to few of very well know dedicated and reseller hosting companies. There I realize why not, why not to have my own server where I can provide quality services to my customers ... and now it feels great to resolve someones issue. Now, web hosting is addiction to me.

I am in this business from quite some time now... although its not my primary job/business but I love running this business.


Blessed.

Interesting reads! Thanks folks!

From those that have posted so far, I see two primary camps:

1. Started a hosting company because you knew you could do it well and make some money.
2. Lifestyle and make some money.

I suppose that's not far different from the reasons I'd see for anyone starting a business in any industry. Still quite interesting, though.

I'm suprised nobody mentioned 'For the chicks!'

I'm suprised nobody mentioned 'For the chicks!'
That's because Bob Parsons is too busy with his radio show to browse WHT. :)

I started a web hosting company because I enjoy having customers call me up and yell at me.

No really, I started because I'm a sadist.

haha. Ok, seriously, I actually like worrying a lot and there's nothing better then worrying about whether my entire business is going to suddenly die because one of our admins decides they don't like me any more and deletes everything.

Ok ok.. I'll be honest now. I'm in this profession because I like spending every spare moment of time I have in front of a computer answering helpdesk tickets, resolving problems with my staff, tracking down customers who owe us money, dealing with lawsuits, incoherant corporate tax law, and suppliers who decide they'd like to suddenly stop supplying without any notice whatsoever.

:)

But seriously, I'm in it because I love the constant and never ending stress of running a business that is "real-time". The prospect of having 300 customers all trying to call me at once when their server dies really excites me. I live for that thrill.

Wow, this post has really made me think a lot. ;)

But seriously.. I do it because I enjoy work that is mentally challenging and always changing. And secondly for the money. And lastly... because hey, it sure beats a 9-5 job working for someone else.

I actually like worrying a lot and there's nothing better then worrying about whether my entire business is going to suddenly die because one of our admins decides they don't like me any more and deletes everything.
That line got me thinking, because I remember how much stress I experienced in my last job and thinking how I might as well work for myself. Same stress but more money and more flexibility.

Personally, I did it all for the nookie.

Personally, I did it all for the nookie.

The nookie? :rofl:

Yeah, they told me that women loved men with long cat5e cables and console cables... and I believed them.

Yeah, they told me that women loved men with long cat5e cables and console cables... and I believed them.

Oh you mean fat chicks right ?

Total control of my sites... i found companies push u around too much and add TOS without notice just to take control of you..

But mainly work from home... I now have people who do my dirty work

Its like winning lotto!

I got into it because there aren't enough women in the IT industry, IMO :D

Seriously, I did it because I love the internet, I love websites, but most of all so I could work from home after our first child was born. When the birth of our 2nd child loomed I decided to get out of the field since I wouldn't have the time.

Then when our little one turned around 6 months old I got into the free hosting market as more of a hobby to keep me from going insane (might have been too late, though - see user title :emlaugh:) and to make enough money to pay my hosting bill.

Now I'm totally out of the hosting field and am a full fledged programming she-geek :clap:

I just started because I wanted some extra cash while I'm studying. I'm not running it to make large profits, mainly for the experience.

Working from home is great too :D

-Chris

When I was 14yrs I wanted to have my own forum (for nothing)...I downloaded PhpBB and erased it after I didn't saw the .exe installer :)...then I learn how to install it, and I searched for a free host with no ads...as my google skills weren't the best, I just downloaded Apache + php + mysql and started my own server, I installed about 10 or 15 forum scripts just to see how they work...and I start the idea of being a hoster.

At 16 I started to work on Support for an online Game, really like the idea of being the support guy, and also I loved the Live Help assistance :)

Forums + Support = At 18, I started a free forum hosting (which last 5 months due to inactivity and personal problems).

But then my idea was greater...let's make a Hosting Site, I have some friends and local bussines, and they want a site! I can give them, and it's something I love!

So, Here I am..trying to do the right things on this... =)

I got myself started in web hosting mostly because I wanted to expand my services. I do computer servicing (repair, building, adware/spyware/virus removal, etc) and I decided that I wanted to expand my services online.

That's how I got in the business!

I started because I wasn't disapointed with other services as such, but I thought I could offer better packages and support etc. Thinking I could make a bit of money also helped me start, I think the money site has some attraction to everyone, although I am still not making a vast amount lol

I started offering webhosting as a "side-service" to my web development company. I got my first clients because I would advertise if you purchased webhosting with a website solution then the website solution would be %3.5 perfect off.

In a previous life I ran a travel website. It grew from a part time homepage hobby into a large community site with thousands of unique visitors a day. Over the 5 years I build that travel site I went through four different webhosts. At the time all those hosts were based in the US. After selling the travel site at the end of 99 I was looking around for a new business to start. In 2001 I started Xtraordinary because I felt the standard of UK hosting wasn't as high as some of the better US companies. At the time people said this was a mad industry to get into because hosting was so competitive. We have focused on quality and certain specific business markets and grown rapidly and profitably.

Andrew

I started because I was doing maintenance on a server and realised I can do this... SO I did, and Ive been providing Game Servers ever since. :)

:) I start because in my country are expensive the reliable hosts, and one of them stole one of my domains.

I buy mi first reseller, move some sites.. find godaddy and directi begin buying domains...

At the moment i have around 300 sites of mine, and 400 customers who pay the bills of the other 300.

I have at the moment one dedicated server and 9 resellers in different datacenters. Each month i get more profit :)

Hello guys and gals,

I was thinking about this after reading a different thread where someone mentioned how many hosts they'd been with and their bad experiences with those hosts ultimately led to them starting a hosting company to do it better.

The reason we got into hosting was much the same. We'd just gotten through with a horrid experience with 9NetAvenue (not sure if anyone even remembers them) where they couldn't solve the most obvious of problems (an employee playing games on the server starting after normal business hours each day), tried to cover it up, refused to honor their money back guarantee, and generally ignored us. That convinced us that if a hugely successful company (at that time) could pawn off such barf as hosting that we could be quite successful if we ethically provided a high quality service.

I see service complaints like that leading to new hosting companies being formed on a regular basis. I'm curious if part of the reason there are so many hosting companies is that there is a hidden epidemic in the customer service and technical support departments of many of the larger hosts.

So how about the rest of you? If there was a deciding event that prompted you to start a hosting company, what was it? If you just got into it for the money, I guess that's an acceptable answer too because I know not all hosting companies were started to better the world.

I have a passion for unix type os's mainly FreeBSD. I dont know why I do hosting but I cant stop now!!!