How did you get started in the Web Hosting Business?

austenite · Feb 25, 2017

I actually started off doing small web design tasks and stuff for locals. Web designs, setting up WordPress etc.

Eventually I got a reseller account to host my design clients, then a vps, then a dedi and eventually dropped design altogether to focus on web hosting.

Gecko · Feb 27, 2017

Dewlance said:
I was so scared by name of "School" and always wanted to avoid "reading books". I was try to escape from 10th grade (In our country there is a grade from 1st to 12th)

So I was started my company in 10th grade and wanted to escape from reading book or going to school but my company was fully established after I finish all grades and leave school ;/

Wow, that's pretty good that you were able to get started before you finished your school. Most kids that age are thinking of fun and partying and not business. Did you have knowledge about the field before you started?

PaperWolv said:
Many years ago I was a regular in AOL's Computing Chat (remember chat rooms?) and hosting would be discussed on occasion and as a result I started researching more into hosting and what goes into it (control panels, the different types of hosting, etc). Eventually a group of regulars from the chat room setup an IRC server and one of the regulars on IRC worked for a company called TowardEX. At that time they offered hosting and I had both my dad (who owned a local HVAC business) and a friend of mine who did web design who both needed a place to host websites so I purchased a reseller package from TorwardEX and started hosting websites for them and continued to gain local customers via word of mouth, especially from friends (and some friends of friends eventually) who were doing their freelance web design.

I've stuck with it because it's something I enjoy. I like to provide services to people and help them with their issues when they have them.

Nice story, I like it! I really liked that part about enjoying what you are doing, not many people get that in their lives.

Just out of curiosity, what did reseller hosting packages go for back then?

P.S. Yes I remember chat rooms and even the ones on AOL. :thumb:

austenite said:
I actually started off doing small web design tasks and stuff for locals. Web designs, setting up WordPress etc.

Eventually I got a reseller account to host my design clients, then a vps, then a dedi and eventually dropped design altogether to focus on web hosting.

Did you drop design because of better money, easier work or maybe that you just liked it better?

VictorVictories · Feb 28, 2017

I started with a free subdomain and with continuous efforts, it began to get a decent amount of web traffic. Thus it was the point of initiation where I started exploring the intricacies of the hosting world.

hostinfuse · Apr 17, 2017

My story is a little bit weird but would love to tell,
I started with starting a small forum (gaming), later started to design and then joined a host as sales agent, then moved to technical and sooner or later I started working with someone who opened his own hosting services and he closed it due to some problems with his family.

I must say hosting business isn't a business for me , it is passion.

SolaDrive · Apr 18, 2017

Well if you don't have a huge budget to start out with, I'd strongly suggest getting a cheap pre-made site and modify it to your needs. Then get a decent VPS or Master reseller account from a reputable hosting company and sell shared/reseller hosting. Once you aquire enough clients, slowly start selling VPS and Dedicated servers.

madRoosterTony · Apr 18, 2017

Like many others started out a developer at the time madRooster was formed, I was doing my own thing but also doing side work for the owners who were two developers as well. The biggest issue we always had was that "off the shelf" hosting solutions always required us to scrap some part of the project because a server with XYZ was not available without breaking the budget.

The two owners decided there had to be a better way and started the company to provide solutions with as many possible options as they could in standard packages.

I soon drifted away from development as the money was not what it had been when I started and moved into a more of a technology consulting position in which I often found clients needing dedicated servers for one reason or another. Now I am sales manager at madRooster but also still maintain my IT consulting business for local clients.

GPDHost · Apr 25, 2017

First and most important thing when starting any business is a solid business plan, don't get into it thinking "I'll figure it out" or have a half baked strategy. Pick multiple goals have one lead to another think a month, even years ahead, what do you want to accomplish? Web hosting is a highly competitive business, so you need to be ready for a bumpy road.

Sonwebhost · Apr 29, 2017

I was sentenced to 4 years in jail, I subscribed to a electronic magazine and in the back was an add about web hosting, I said when I get out of jail I will start a web hosting company, I was sent to Barbados, kinda like you out of USA for good, and I started in the basement of a rented house, I had to design a website and bought a re-seller account, I had no knowledge of webdesign or web-hosting, I keep at it and now I host clients sites and design websites for businesses. I enjoy the business and the freedom it gives me to preach. Thanks for asking wanted to share that for sometime now....

WHGBTom · Apr 29, 2017

Started with building clients websites and went from there. Its great to hear how people have such different introductions into the business.

hostmeja · May 24, 2017

We started as means to fulfill a need, we needed a hosting provider with quality servers and customer service.Most had bad customer service or slow servers, go figure:rolleyes2:. After selling our website we found that we love system administration and wanted to provide great service.

SmartHost · Jun 7, 2017

Started out in 1991 as a hobby store (sports cards, role playing games, comic books, etc...), then that grew into a mail-order business, then eventually onto the web. Used AOL Primehost back then, and that was like $99/month for 100MB of space or so...crazy. The hobby industry started mass producing stuff, and the industry crashed and burned when things became valueless overnight. Looking for next venture, I took what I learned about web-hosting from designing/configuring that, and decided that would be a good business to get into. Right time, right place...got hooked up with Nick Kosten for my system administrator, and CPanel was created and took over the industry, and the rest is history.
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HostKoi · Jul 7, 2017

I started back in 2006 when I was 18 after having a bad experience with the owner of a I guess mid size company, he was rude and totally unprofessional. Support was lacking and when you did reply he'd pretty much let you know you were bothering him. I ended up getting my first dedicated and advertised my services to a few customers who were unhappy with the provider. Everything went good with that company however I sold it in 2008 because I was in college and couldn't dedicate the time due to it growing.

After selling and going to college for computer engineering and networking, and ultimately starting a family I decided to get back into hosting again in 2014. It's not as easy as it was back then as far as getting customers but it's still been rewarding and can't see going away anytime soon.

How did you get started in the Web Hosting Business?

austenite

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hostinfuse

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