Results 1 to 12 of 12
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Los Angeles, California
    Posts
    1,370

    Starting New Business With Reseller

    I'm thinking of starting a webhosting business with a small reseller to start off and gradually upgrade. I'm thinking of getting it from Reseller Zoom and starting off with their lowest Reseller package and upgrading as I go along. The only thing I'm unsure about is getting an automated billing script from them. The hosting would cost $7 a month and the licensing for the automated billing would cost $5 a month. Should I do manual labor until I go up to a higher package or should I just start off with the automated billing? Also I'm thinking of hiring level 1 support techs. Should I hire them from the beginning or later on whether my business develops or not?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Lebanon
    Posts
    462
    I suggest that you get the billing software when you start seeking potential clients. It will save you a lot of hassle if you are going to import them later to your software. As for tech support, you don't need them really for now. You could handle it by yourself if you don't have many clients yet.

    Your best bet would be to get the Advanced One plan from RZ, which includes free billing software and free customer support. It will not cost you a lot more.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    UK.
    Posts
    1,097
    Billing software is a must. It makes like so much easier.

    I know ResellerZoom can provide you with WHMCS for $5 per month, giving you a support site, billing software and client area so it might be worth while checking them out.

    What you need to watch is that you don't cut costs so much that it affects your service, although cutting costs as much as possible.

    Scott

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Lebanon
    Posts
    462
    Quote Originally Posted by RH-Scott View Post

    I know ResellerZoom can provide you with WHMCS for $5 per month, giving you a support site, billing software and client area so it might be worth while checking them out.
    Or you could use the free clientexec that comes with your plan, although it is less configurable, but it is good for a start.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Hong Kong+Toronto
    Posts
    1,254
    We didn't start with a billing software and now paying the price...It is a must even if you are small now.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    39
    I started off my business with a reseller from resellerzoom, they were pretty good too! Quad Core servers with 4GB memory!

    I then upgraded to a VPS

    Now i have a dedicated server

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    San Diego, California
    Posts
    865
    As you are planning, it is a good idea to start off with a reseller plan, and then upgrade as needed -- no point in starting any bigger when you may not need it for months or years to come.

    You won't need a tech when you first start, but be sure to be honest with your customers of the support you offer. Don't try to claim 24 hour support if you can't truly provide it. I know ResellerZoom provides end-user support with their advanced packages, so this may be something worth looking into. Before you make a final decision on a reseller, be sure to read reviews of them and make sure that you're making the right decision. Remember that you and your clients will be relying on the support and reliability of the reseller account you choose!
    Othio Hosting - Private-Label cPanel Reseller Hosting
    True 24x7 Support | SSD Storage | cPanel+WHM | R1Soft Backups

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Los Angeles, California
    Posts
    1,370
    I've done some research and I don't think ResellerZoom is the host I should go with. I'm thinking of going with Qoozz but they don't offer a billing script so I might just lease an iPanel license for $10 a month. Does anyone know any other cheaper reseller which offers a billing script for a low rate?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    New York, NY
    Posts
    4,618
    Quote Originally Posted by sinohosting View Post
    We didn't start with a billing software and now paying the price...It is a must even if you are small now.
    Having a good billing system from the start will save a lot of time later. We waited until we had over 1000 customers paying monthly until we started moving to a billing system, and it's not easy importing all of the customer history.
    Scott Burns, President
    BQ Internet Corporation
    Remote Rsync and FTP backup solutions
    *** http://www.bqbackup.com/ ***

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indiana, USA
    Posts
    19,196
    I can personally recommend hostgator for reseller, it's $24 to start a month, but you get a LOT of features for that price, including free WHMCS.

    Mike

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Los Angeles, California
    Posts
    1,370
    Hostgator does seem good but would I really be able to use up all that space and bandwidth if I require it? I get suspicious when I see deals such as those even if they are a popular webhost.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indiana, USA
    Posts
    19,196
    Yes you would, and of that I can personally attest to as well.

    I've seen one of the datacenters they are in, you wouldn't believe how many servers they have.

    The funny thing is when I went to the datacenter at the time I didn't know who hostgator was =)

    Mike

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •