So I'm 16 and I want to start a small web-hosting company. Now I've been reading around and heard I should wait untill I'm 18 to start it but.. I want to get a headstart on things and learn to do it my own way (without learning from another web-hosting buisness first.) So I'm kinda curious where I should start from. Right now I'm going to use a.. I think it's like a dedicated, but shared computer lol. It's dedicated to the site but will be distributed between.. 10 people maybe. Where I think I need to start from is by making a website, Which I have.. Then use my parents information for billing, taxes, etc.etc.

My biggest concern is finding a program that will allow the customers to load from my computer. For example, All web-hosting buisness' must start from somewhere, Theirfor the only place to start is from loading the storage,ram, etc. from their computer to distribute it. How could I achieve distributing my storage,ram, etc. to others? Their is a program, and DynDNS and what not right?

It would be very helpful if I could get some detailed information, Thank you.

I'd recommend getting a small reseller account to begin with. You don't have to be 18 to run a web hosting business. If you did get it registered, you could have it in one of your parent/guardians' names and simply be the person who manages it.

Could you explain what a reseller account is or a link to where it explains please?

Its a account on a shared hosting server. You can create your own hosting packages and sell them whitelabel to your customer. I think you need to search for al reseller webhosting provider.

Before trying to resell web hosting I would recommend you to try understand the basic of web hosting first by being a customer of a web hosting company. From there you can start from a reseller plan, for which you won't need any knowledge of servers, CPU, RAM etc.

Try get a reseller account & use WHMCS!

I am sorry, if you don't know what a reseller account is, please don't try to open up business.
Not that I hate you or anything, it just makes it a lot harder for valid genuine hosts out there trying to make a living.

With your knowledge, your customers are gonna be mad and you might even run into some legal trouble.

This is a good point.

I would personally - buy some hosting, with the platform you want to sell - play with it, break it, etc. Learn from it.

Then I would try and get a part time job in a customer service role, I would highly say DO NOT start a web hosting company if you dont know what a reseller account is. I am sorry but there are far to many of these types of companies out there and the only one that suffers is the customer!

Id build up over the next 6 months and learn as much as possible as quickly as possible!

Maybe you could find a mentor here , that will help you to learn the ropes before you actually get into hosting. Every job requires training . " Kiddie Hosts " which is what people your age that attempt a hosting company are called. Have a really bad reputation. I think some of them mean well when they start and then get in over their heads.

As a host you not only provide space , transfer and support... you have your clients hopes and dreams for their own business , family websites etc. Its a huge responsibility if you do it right.... if you do it wrong you not only hurt yourself , open yourself to being sued you can destroy peoples business and there by their ability to make a living.

I hope you re-think your plan ... and gain some experience first.

This is a good point.

I would personally - buy some hosting, with the platform you want to sell - play with it, break it, etc. Learn from it.

Quite rightly. The breaking part is the most important. If you break something you've made, you will learn from it. Assuming you are aiming at the completely general market, your customers will assume you know about the basics and just fire their questions at you, even if its not directly relevant to what you are providing.

Hosting businesses are not just about sales and bringing money in, most of it is support and knowing what you are selling.

Firstly, understand the market first, get yourself a domain, a hosting package, do some coding from scratch, like PHP, do some design stuff and then move into hosting for other people.

From the sounds of it you want to do it with what you already have, which isn't usually such a great idea if you are selling a product as they will assume you have it in a top-class facility.

I'm not so keen on the idea of what others have said about working for someone, as this could put you off the idea of running on your own. However if you try hard enough to find someone or they offer you then go for it.

Not that any of the OP's are trying to put you off totally, but you need to understand something before you sell it, especially when the clients for sure, will not.

You have a valid point, If your determined to start a host, then please make sure you get one that will support your customers that way you can look through tickets and learn that way.

Thats the best way for you and for your clients.

I'd also suggest getting a parent involved if possible as technically you do have to be 18 to enter into a contract.

Which you would be doing with your hosting provider and with your customers.

Dude,

Anything where you can learn customer service - even if its the local supermarket - you are dealing with customers and having that interaction - plus it can pay your hosting bills until a time where its paying its self.

Alright so I'm doing reseller for a little while to learn?

You realize your gonna be spending $35 monthly from the start, but have like 1 - 5 customers for the first 6 months?

Yes I realize this...Only 35.93 for the very first month.. The rest are 25.94 untill the next 12 months come where I need to renew my domain name..

And yeah 1-5 people..15$/monthly if I have 5 people.. That does a little over half.

5kMB

5GB

100kMB

100GB

5GB's of space? Somebody could use that and your out of luck for space you have with the plans I see. Whoa.

I said 5GB? No I said 5000MB and what I ment was 15,000MB.. And It's a small buisness I'm just starting out.

15,000MB's = 15GB's

What webhost will you use, and what plan?