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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Ontario
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    1

    [B]Starting a Web Hosting Business[/B]

    Can anyone give me some tips on how I would go about starting a Web Hosting Business? I would be running the business solely... no partners or employees... Aside from that aspect, I'm looking for some basic steps that I can take to pursue this adventure.

    Any advise is greatly appreciated.

    Regards,

    RS

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Phoenix area
    Posts
    1,121
    Learn survival/prepper information from a combat veteran at Graywolf Survival

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,194
    Thats a rather huge question and the answer would be huge as well and also depending on many things.

    But the most basic steps you can take would be:

    -Planning on a Name, Marketing Avenue
    -Ensure the name is not taken and that the avenue is within your reach/budget for startup.
    -Register the Domain Name, Logo Design, Website Design
    -Register the business license(some skip this for startup, but really its a simple registration and taxes can be filed as a 0.00 until you actually launch)
    -Develop a business plan(skip this step and your screwed!)
    -Descide on integration and software that would best fit your needs, ex. control panel, operating system, payment processing etc.
    -Find out who offers your software/program solution in reseller accounts and sign up for a reseller account(httme.com, voxtreme.com, mchost.com).
    -Spread the word of your hosting venture through signatures on forums, advertising forums, SEO, local advertising, word of mouth, and treating your customers great.
    -As you begin to grow at some point you will have to do two things register your business(some say not to worry until you begin to grow, but you can do this rather easy at the beginning and avoid any potential tax fraud,etc.) AND outsource support.

    Outsourcing support works when you want to run things soley on your own. Most popular outsource companies i know of is actsupport.com and bobcares.com.

    -Watch your growth and be sure to follow your business plan and to put enough money back into the company for expansion, development, advertising, support,etc.

    -Eventually you will need to move to a dedicated server which will increase your profit margin and put you more in control. I suggest when you make this move find a dedi offer that is offering same software, etc. as the reseller account, BUT just leave your customers on your reseller account and use your dedi for new sign-ups. This will keep you from having to mess with messy transfers,etc. When you get a dedi pretend like your profit margin is the same and use the extra money to put back into the business and expand, advertise a bit..

    -Continue down the dedi route and possibley consider dropping your outsourced support for a few partners(not legal partnership, these are trouble).

    -Eventually you will most likely want to look into building or buying your own servers and co-locating them, this solution is only cheaper if your running many servers, etc.

    Thats a basic outline and im sure i missed many steps, but thats also assuming you know alot about the programs, software, etc. that goes into such a thing as running a hosting business.

    You will have to have knowledge in:
    DNS and DNS zones
    FTP
    MX entries
    Linux Distro's
    Control Panel Software
    Some Programming knowledge or understanding
    Understand how networking works
    Understand the terms and meanings of the business
    and so , so much more...

    Start with a reseller account and stay glued to these forums and go from there,, but if you are completely new to this and have no idea about the programs, software, etc.. then its not going to be an overnight thing, or an overweek, overmonth, maybe not even over year thing.
    www.boxedhost.com
    COMING SOON!
    A Resellers Dream, In a Box

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,194
    And go through the forums and look up threads, past threads etc.. read the information and when someone is talking about something in the thread you have no clue on.. go to www.google.com and type that in and learn everything you can about it...

    Lets say someone is talking about traceroute from a server, well you better know what that is.. etc..

    Ask questions as you learn and search through the internet for answers, but dont always ask such broad questions because you wont learn much that way and no one cares to provide a solution for your business, they are buisy coming up with one for theirs..

    So search the forum under running a webhosting business, etc.. and read all the information available, ask questions pertaining to those threads, do research on the internet for more knowledge, and read other companies websites for idea's,, etc...

    If you have any other questions or get stumped along the way you can PM me if you like and i will help you as much as i can.
    www.boxedhost.com
    COMING SOON!
    A Resellers Dream, In a Box

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Phoenix area
    Posts
    1,121
    what experience are you starting from, that may dictate how best you might start looking for help.
    Learn survival/prepper information from a combat veteran at Graywolf Survival

  6. #6
    And be ready to stay in it for the long term ... running a web host biz can be profitable but also exhausting for a one-man op
    Web Hosting Stuff - Over 10,000+ Hosting Companies Listed
    http://www.webhostingstuff.com

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,194
    Hosting terms, this website goes over the terms and meanings of those terms commonly used in the hosting industry...

    Go over these terms and make sure you know them,, the ones you dont study and go as deap as you can...

    http://www.hostpulse.com/app/tquo/de...o=ht1&ititle=A
    www.boxedhost.com
    COMING SOON!
    A Resellers Dream, In a Box

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    256
    Originally posted by RH4U
    Thats a rather huge question and the answer would be huge as well and also depending on many things.


    You will have to have knowledge in:
    Linux Distro's
    Some Programming knowledge or understanding
    Those two items arent necessarily needed--

    It's very possible to host without using linux (it's not the only OS in use) and unless you either plan to use linux and code your own softs and change the OS or support scripting, etc programming skill may not be needed.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,194
    Well if you go with another OS substitute it for the linux.. i was just saying that because most use windows and it seems that thats the biggest wake up call for people wanting to get into hosting... OMG whats linux?? lol,, i was one of those

    Also the programming knowledge your right its not,, i just think it would be easier if you have an idea of whats going on behind the scenes, etc.. Paying people to fix things suck.
    www.boxedhost.com
    COMING SOON!
    A Resellers Dream, In a Box

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario
    Posts
    1,452
    Start off with doing reseller hosting, build a client base, when you know you can get more clients, buy yourself a unix box and host out of there.

    If you plan to get rich quick, it isn't going to work. The web hosting field is really slaving companies, which involves a lot of work!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Posts
    1,194
    I think it could be said that its not a get rich quick or a get quick long thing..lol

    Much time envolved and you will make good money, but i dont think you'll ever get rich.. but if this is your only motivation you better reconsider quick.
    www.boxedhost.com
    COMING SOON!
    A Resellers Dream, In a Box

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