How To Start A Hosting Business With Little Tech Skills

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and plenty of technology know-how, starting a hosting business can be the perfect venture to fit your strengths. Hosting businesses offer some of the most substantial, reliable income potential to entrepreneurs. Nowadays, everyone has a website, and every website needs a host. Find out how to start a hosting business below, so that you can get in on the digital boom.

Pick A Business Model

There are several different types of hosting businesses you can choose between. Reseller hosting is probably the best business model suited to new entrepreneurs. However, you may also decide at-home server hosting or datacenter colocation hosting is your preferred business model. Regardless of which you choose, it is important to remember that each type of hosting company requires increasingly more technical knowledge. So, if you are not overly-confident in your abilities, starting a reseller hosting business may be your best bet.

Identify Competitors

Once you have settled on which type of hosting your business will provide, identify your competitors. Make sure to identify competitors within your particular hosting niche. This will give you an idea of traditional pricing models for hosting services. It will also help you gain insight into how you can add value for your clients when you start out. Knowing what you are up against is a must if you want to stand out from the competition and open a successful hosting business.

Set Prices

Now that you know what your competitor’s charge for hosting services for DIY website clients, it is time to set your own prices. Hosting prices can vary greatly depending on what type of hosting is being provided or what niche market the company is operating within. Keep this in mind when conducting your pricing research. Then, set your prices in the middle range. Setting prices too low will prevent you from growing your business. Setting prices to high will deter customers who are wary of doing business with a brand new business owner. As long as you base your company’s pricing model on the data you collect, you are sure to be staying competitive while offering customers fair prices.

Protect Your Business

Next, you are going to want to be sure to protect your business legally. This will require creating a Terms of Service Agreement and an Acceptable Usage Policy for future hosting clients. For some business owners, it may also include hiring a business lawyer to walk them through the process of incorporation and provide legal consulting down the road. Others may not deem this necessary. Regardless of how extensive the measures you take to legally protect your business, at least make sure you create acceptable usage policies and terms of service agreements for hosting clients.

Build Infrastructure

Once all of the other pieces are in place, it is time to put the actual hardware in place. If you are starting an at-home hosting business, you will need to build hosting infrastructure on your own. However, it is important to remember the in-depth technical knowledge required to get this done. If you doubt your abilities, reseller hosting services may be the best option for you to dip your toe into the website hosting market. Otherwise, building hosting infrastructure allows you to choose your own hardware, operating systems, database and other hosting management tools. Make sure you take the time to select the best options for your customers as well as long-term business sustainability, so you do not have to worry about having to switch business OS in the future.

If you are an entrepreneur with tech skills, starting a hosting business is one of the most lucrative business opportunities available for you to take advantage of. Reseller hosting businesses are the perfect fit for techies just starting out. Or, if you have more experience, you can consider starting a datacenter colocation hosting business. Regardless of which is best for you, follow the steps above to open your own business and get it running as soon as possible. Then, using marketing and promotion to expand your business network will be your biggest concern. Good luck!

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