I want to setup my own hosting company but i'm not great with names. Can anybody please help me pick a name for my hosting company ... before posting a reply can you check that there is a domain available for that name :) preferably .co.uk :)

Thanks in advance :)

The first step to being able to run a hosting company is to be able to follow guidelines, such as where to post, and laws governing commerce :o

Seriously, making a name is the BEST part about setting up a company.

so you recommend i name it myself then ?

And can i ask how hosting companies make much of a profit when they charge really low prices ?

Naming it after yourself would be easy to remember :)

There honestly is very low profit margins for straight hosting, but for adding value or services to your customer you can realize more profit over time. Often by looking for someone else to provide a dedicated server or VPS, you can keep your costs down yourself instead of lots of expenditures in startup costs.

I am not sure how much you are looking to make in the hosting business, but looking hard for a good provider with low prices will be your first goal. (Lots of customers second.) Good luck.

Yes, that is actually the most rewarding part, IMO, is naming your company. That is something you are going to have to stick with, market, brand, etc. It's tough work.

You want to know how? They oversell. Which is not a bad thing, when you can, PM me and I'll explain that a bit more in detail, as I am tiring of posting it over and over again :D

But, the challenge of finding an available domain name, and company name, and running with it. Are you planning on marketing to only UK people?

EDIT: And the above poster is correct (we posted at the same time lol), adding some sort of value, such as web design, is another way. You won't be making enough for a full time job for a while. It's not a get rich quick scheme. You are literally competing with if not millions, than hundreds of thousands of hosts out there. Market locally!!! Check otu the running a webhosting company tutorials to help you out some.

I don't know how to pm you every other forum i have been on its been simple but i can't find how to on here , also is it legal to run a hosting company at the age of 16 ?

Pull out a pad and pen and write words that most likely apply to the group you are marketing to and add words such as "host". Come up with at least 20 ideas and you'll sort it out. :)

You can then use a site such as domain tools (http://www.domaintools.com) to see if the name is available.

Hosting companies that make a profit off of high resource plans with low prices are 99% of the time "overselling" their resources. So, let's say for example you purchase a reseller account that has overselling enabled (see the reseller forum here for more info/to ask questions) with 15GB of disk space, you can offer plans with 5 or 10 (or whatever you want really) GB of disk space for 'x' price that allows you to turn a profit.

It's a gamble to take considering that you are counting on your customers not using the full amount of resources you have sold to them. On the upside, you can manage it well with a reseller account by upgrading your plan or moving to a dedicated (likely managed if you don't have the skills to do so yourself) server if necessary.

It is an easy business model to follow and will allow you to be competitive however you do need to manage it carefully. If you are offering 1TB of disk space for $3 per month and only physically have 15 or 20GB available to you, things can get out of control pretty quickly.

To you WHT hounds - Yes. I just suggested he oversell. Stone me if you wish.

I'm not looking to oversell or make a profit just yet, lots of friends of mine and my family are asking me to do it so that i can host them. I really enjoy offering support and stuff but i don't want to make a profit just yet . i may consider trying to make a profit in the future though.

I would suggest checking out the Reseller forum here on WHT. You will find a lot of good information and leads on hosts.

I'd recommend checking out Innohosting and Aquarius Storage for reseller options.

Good luck!

Dave

You could check the domains for sale section?

I would recommend you to be consalted by SEO expert. Simply ask him to help you choose the best name taking into account key phrases and other important factors.