I want to start a hosting company

aarlindbajraktari

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Hello group :)

I have been thinking for a long time about a business idea in my region and I have seen that it is good idea to start a hosting company to offer shared hosting , domain names , vps and more, Do you have any idea what I need to start what programs servers and these other things...
 

isix

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Hello group :)

I have been thinking for a long time about a business idea in my region and I have seen that it is good idea to start a hosting company to offer shared hosting , domain names , vps and more, Do you have any idea what I need to start what programs servers and these other things...
Do you have any experience with hosting business? Also are you familiar with Linux, command line tasks etc.?
 

HDWebHosting

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I am working on the same thing. There are many reseller opportunities. I suggest starting there, with a free reseller program that has both a dedicated team devoted to ensuring that the NOC & web hosting are top notch, and the availability of free customer hosting (& domain) support. The option I use allows you to either use the default web hosting 'store' system to resell, use your own server with an API to the reseller services (domain registration & transfers, cloud hosting, cPanel hosting or dedicated servers, etc...), or use a Wordpress site hosted in an account you sold to yourself. The nice thing about it is that customers can have support provided by the company and you concentrate on marketing & sales. This is excellent for a designer, developer, marketer, optimizer, etc... I'm not allowed to post the link here, so oh well.

There is also the option to create absolutely everything yourself and resell via cPanel, but then you have to provide the support, as well.

When you start your own company, you actually have to have a reseller solution just to provide the domain name registration and transfers, anyway. I started out reselling hosting, needed domain name registrations, so I moved into the Go Daddy world, but at the time they had a separate reseller arm under the Wild West Domains brand and it was good. Then, the company was sold and it has been gobbling up WWD and falling apart as a corporate behemoth that is largely owned by inexperience (especially stockholders) that don't care a single iotta about its resellers.

HDWH is on the free reseller plan, with a free site, and my customers get great support through the ticketing system or myself, and there is even a toll-free number for support that is good, though a little slow (but not near as slow as GoDaddy or Network Solutions was/is).

Then, I can (and will eventually) add a server of my own using the free api. Of course, this needs to be in a secure facility, not at home, or even on a commercial site via a cable connection, but actually on a tier1 trunk, so I have the NOC that moved into the old Gateway buildings leasing out space in their facilities and the connections are all monitored and on high speed lines.

There are other options, too. If you want to do absolutely every single thing yourself, you can, even starting for free, but in order to do that you have to sit down and make a plan with a dedicated design and development staff. I am working on getting there, to that option, as well, but that one has a high demand on resources, especially labor, and you have to contract a good support call center with detailed info, so you need a great knowledge base and lots of clear, up-to-date tutorials, etc.

The reason I say you have to be a reseller for domain registration & transfer support is that to become an ICANN accredited facility you would have to jump through too many hoops and tie-up investment funds that can easily be better used elsewhere. That is one of the biggest stumbling blocks, the domain registration & transfers, not the hosting.

However, once you establish yourself, then you can later expand, if the figures dictate that it is a good move. Even the larger web hosting companies are using integrated domain reg reseller platforms.
 

Dr. McKay

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Dr. McKay
There is also the option to create absolutely everything yourself and resell via cPanel, but then you have to provide the support, as well.
What to setup to have a great support for clients? Do you need a team to support clients when they have problems with web hosting? or just hiring someone to do part-time work when needed?
 

HDWebHosting

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HDWebHosting
IF you decide to do everything yourself, you need a team of designers & developers to get all the functions of the website working, and at least a financial officer & bookkeeper to deal with all the encountered expenses, payroll, loans, etc. You can skip an onsite dedicated support team by contracting a call center, but ultimately, especially if you want to do it all yourself, you need that support team, as well.

And because you are doing it all yourself, you have to then establish a library of FAQs, knowledge base & video tutorials teaching even the youngest child how to use your website and setup all the services.

That is why I am going the partnership route until I can establish a better solution than is available today, which isn't hard because many GUIs are crap, especially web hosting control panels.
 

isix

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isix
Just to make it "all" easier you need (these are just examples of a "solution" of selfhosted things):

1. VPS server
2. cPanel license
3. WHMCS billing and provisioning application

or

1. cPanel (or whatever) reseller account
2. billing software (or you can do in manually in Word for example)

That's all. No needs for developers, designers, financial officer & bookkeepers...
 

HDWebHosting

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HDWebHosting
As I pointed out, I partner with some rather great companies. You are right, that is another easy solution, but that is not doing it all yourself, and it leaves no website design & development, no real faq/kb/video library, etc... it's not on a dedicated server, and you still need a domain registration partner.

What you are talking about is cutting down on all the work, which is what I have been talking about I do in different ways.

However, to do it all, with my experience hosting local is the solution that business seeks. There is a high demand for it, but a high investment, and the largest part of that investment is time.

While you have one solution, it isn't what was asked for, after all, and it seems critical.

To top that off, cPanel has its own set of problems. And if you are going to establish yourself, you will need to get around some of its quirks.

Then, there's the VPS server. No, I do not agree. Get a damn server. Make it yours. But, I like to build computers and media servers. Still, the thing is, it is about as cheap to lease the spot for the server in the NOC and the traffic required, as an online solution server somewhere else (out of state).

So, we disagree. Different people want different things. My strategy is based on a marketing avenue I have that is wide open, and means that it has to be my server serving data from the local area. I am sure there are plenty that are pretty identical marketing incentives in every state. Home grown grants and funds for keeping stuff and growing the tech within the local communities. That means I can't do VPN here, it isn't available.

Different needs require different solutions. I will likely opt for a lot of stuff I don't do myself. But that was the question I responded to, about doing it all yourself.
 
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isix

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What to setup to have a great support for clients?
You can use a live/offline chat apps like TAWK or some support scripts (depends if selfhosted or not) like UVdesk.
Do you need a team to support clients when they have problems with web hosting? or just hiring someone to do part-time work when needed?
It depends on your hosting-technical skills and your time.
 
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create

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If you don't have much skills, I suggest you use my complete and ready solution. The cost is also very cheap
 

zainhosting

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Starting a hosting company can be lucrative, but it requires expertise in server management, Linux, and web hosting. If you’re experienced in these areas, it’s a great business opportunity. Otherwise, consider partnering with someone who has the necessary skills to ensure a successful launch.
 

Mjlivera

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Starting a hosting company sounds like a great plan, especially if there’s a market for it in your area. To get things rolling, you’ll need a few key components. Reliable servers are a must, whether you’re setting up your own or leasing from a solid data center. You’ll also need control panel software like cPanel or Plesk to manage your hosting services easily. WHMCS is a great tool for handling billing and customer management. If you’re offering domain names, partnering with a domain registrar is essential. Security should be a top priority too, so make sure you have SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and regular backups in place. And of course, having a responsive and knowledgeable support team will be crucial to keeping your customers happy. It’s a lot to juggle, but with the right setup, you’ll be off to a strong start.
 

Alex_Host

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its been 4 years, did you start? how was it, may be you can share a bit your history
 

SenseiSteve

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I was thinking the same. The OP never replied or joined in the conversation despite some great recommendations by members here.
 

nodeplex

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Offering quality over quantity at a reasonable price will ensure you make the long haul. Don't compete on price alone, you will just get frustrated and attract the wrong customer base. You want to retain the customers you do attract.
 

otto levin

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I agree with you, focusing on quality is crucial. Competing only on price might bring in a flood of clients, but they’re often the most difficult to retain or satisfy. Building a solid reputation for reliability, great support, and secure services will help you stand out in the long run. Also, if you’re in the early stages of starting your hosting business, make sure you’re scaling your infrastructure according to demand. Don’t rush into buying more resources than needed - start small and expand as your customer base grows. Would love to hear how others in this thread have scaled their hosting businesses over time.
 

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