Young Specialist Looking for Options

[WannaHost]

Hello,
I am of age 15 and I am looking for alternative ways to legitimately join the hosting industry. I have a very in depth understanding of how a hosting company works, and I would legally like to start my own (or run one, under my direction, but under someone else's observation.) I know and have access to all the elements I feel would be needed to run an efficient, profitable, and reputable hosting company. My problem is that, if I were to want to offer e-commerce solutions and reseller solutions like I am looking too, I would need to be under a proper license, and have a way for the payment to be properly accepted (paypal don't like my age.)

I have many methods for success (in my thoughts) that I feel will bring me through with flying colors, on all fronts of the hosting business. I feel I can cater to the business users, resellers, and the personal sites through very low prices on reliable servers. I have a very in-depth knowledge of the workings of both WHM and Ensim, and I can adequately support all questions directed about it. I also have 2 other hardware and software related occupations (legal ones, and local ones) which commonly bring in large sums of profit, but are not currently considered a stable source of the kind of funding I would be interested in.

I am looking for alternatives, on ways to be able to run a business the way I would like to, and be able to collect some of what I make. I have worked for a "GameServer" company before and a webhosting company, and I feel I have been exposed to enough that I could go far in this industry. When I browse forums and the general internet as I do frequently, I feel there are so many opportunities for profitable hosting it would not be to difficult to get a company that is at the least, evening out.

I can fund my clients, support my clients, but there is no way to process it in the form of a valid business. If anyone has any alternatives for me as to what I can do to start in this endless venture of caffeine, flaming, and support calls, please do not hesitate to post.

-WannaHost

[Dustin Verley]

Hmmmm, best of luck. I'd say try and get a few more bucks, and if you can, hire a few server administrators, go to the Hire Me section and look for one, get 1-5 co-located servers and find a good data center, maybe somebody like Level 3 Communications. You can take it from there.....

[Chicken]

I don't think that addresses his concern. The short of it WannaHost is that your parents can be used for the legal end of things. They can register the business on your behalf, and enter into contracts that you can't. I don't know if you've talked it over with dear ol' dad or not.

[Dustin Verley]

he he, wonder what dad would say, neva sat down and asked mines before, makes me wonder, but if legal things should be arised, ha ha, i'll say my dad is Chicken. (NO IM NOT A CHICK EITHER, IMMA DUDE) :D

[WannaHost]

No, actually Chicken I have never thought of that yet. My Parents are not that knowledgeable about the internet. I have built them each a computer, set it up on the net, and got them started off, but basically they do not have much of an understanding about how the internet works, and the benefits and disadvantages of webhosting (time to make use of OpenOffice Presentation).

They will go 100% on whatever I ask as long as it is positive toward my future financial stability and learning, but I have never really thought of them as a legalized alternative.

As far as what Dustin said, I already have servers I am interested in. Found some nice one's with Tomsyer, and I am thinking with going with Servermatrix again (don't like there contracts). Tomsyer had a pretty good deal, $115 a month for a P4 3GZ HT with dual 80 Gig hard drives. I could get clients some good quality hosting on them, and still make enough to expand. I can admin my servers well, I know how to protect, speed up, service, upgrade, and troubleshoot RH via SSH, and I got all the commands down, so admining is no problem at all.

Dustin, did you have a legitimate hosting company when you had one?

[Dustin Verley]

Yes, the guy was having a blowout sale. It was like $460 and then $75 a month. $460 covered the setup on the 3 servers I had, and then it was $250 a month for the 3 servers I had. Unfortunately, business went slow, had no more money to expand. So I had to quit. Maybe in the future, I'll be able to offer hosting again.

I doubt it, but it pays to invest. Don't take your money like some hosts do and ultimately start purchasing thing after thing to impress yourself. Invest your money, do like I did (and I still do.) Take your money and invest in the stock market or something, you should actually invest first. I turned $500 into $1200 in like 3 weeks and I am only 16 years old. So think of it like this:

1200 - 460 (Setup) = 740 - 225 (First Month Payment) = 515 - 315 (CPanel/WHM) = 200 - 125 (Extra Software) = 75

Basically there, I killed my spendings. I lost $1,125 right there, but it was a good shot. I end up putting my $75 back in the stock market, and decided to start back slow for now (25 Shares of Level 3 Communications.)

Don't make the same mistake I did. My 3 motto:

1) Invest and save.
2) Track and plan
3) Develop and deploy

Sounds pretty extreme with that type of server, is that a dedicated or colo by the way.

Good luck kid, its a harsh world. Another thing Chicken would agree with me on is to use VariLogix (*http://www.varilogix.com*) which is an automated phone service that calls to identify if the order is fraudulent. Check their site. Good Luck.

[WannaHost]

I think I will look in to the stock markets and get a better understanding of them before I go in to hosting.

I feel I can go in to hosting alot cheaper than you had. I am going to start small, on a P4 2.8, 1 Gig Ram, 1000MB BW, cPanel / WHM latest, Fedora C1. It will cost me $100 a month exact no setup. I got my site design done, looks great. Looking in to modernbill for $20 a month, and thats really all I am paying for. I might get $30 into a secure backup server, but other than that my $500 should last awhile ( I have $500 budgeted in to this venture, more if needed .)

[Chicken]

Originally posted by WannaHost:

No, actually Chicken I have never thought of that yet. My Parents are not that knowledgeable about the internet. <snip> basically they do not have much of an understanding about how the internet works, and the benefits and disadvantages of webhosting (time to make use of OpenOffice Presentation).

They will go 100% on whatever I ask as long as it is positive toward my future financial stability and learning, but I have never really thought of them as a legalized alternative.
I would phrase it in non-internet terms then. More along the lines of...

"Dad, if I wanted to start a lawnmowing company, but needed you to sign the lease on the mower..."

Maybe it will work, though you can probably think of something better to use as an anology, and a better way of saying it.

[WannaHost]

I have already gotten an understanding across, now I am going to need to research what type of business to start, my marketing plans, what to do if it does not go as well as planned, and the main issue to date, what domain name to use.

But yeah, I will get registered under an LLC, Sole "Howeveritsspelled", or INC, whatever is the best for my situation. Hopefully, I will not endure many fees in the process, so I can reroute all the funding toward my plans for future clients.

Anyone here do there own taxes? I know nothing of taxes, but Google will help me and that old copy of Quickbooks I never used will be sure to be of some assistance.

Off to the business plan!

[Chicken]

Originally posted by Dustin Verley:

Another thing Chicken would agree with me on is to use...
I've never used the service (not sure why my name came into this), so I couldn't agree nor disagree.

[Dustin Verley]

Well, Chicken, do agree that security is a top notch part of hosting right, you dont want fraudulent actions to be taken place, thats what I meant.

[Chicken]

Most definitely, however I couldn't say...Originally posted by Dustin Verley:

Another thing Chicken would agree with me on is to use VariLogix (*http://www.varilogix.com*) which is an automated phone service that calls to identify if the order is fraudulent.

[Dustin Verley]

Should of been more detailed, it checks the verification between the order form and the answers put into the phone. I think I need to take English some more, :P

[WannaHost]

Another thing Chicken would agree with me on is to use HostHideOut (*http://www.hosthideout.com*) which is an non-commercialized and commercially preferable web hosting forum's service that lets user's fairly and freely express there hosting related offers and viewpoints, unlike some of the more common webhosting forums.

[Dustin Verley]

Hey, you can always use Web Hosting Talk (http://www.webhosttalk.com) 2 things, not sure if thats the right address and secondly, I am not sure if they offer advertising, slap me if they dont.

[WannaHost]

Originally posted by Dustin Verley:

Hey, you can always use Web Hosting Talk (http://www.webhosttalk.com) 2 things, not sure if thats the right address and secondly, I am not sure if they offer advertising, slap me if they dont.

Webhostingtalk unlike Hosthideout is a spammed version of hosthideout.com with communistic owners who strive to the goal to demoralize the point of host discussion into there own financial success. Its like the commercial's that tell you how to make a million dollars, you buy there book, and it basically says "Sell a book that says how to make a million dollars."

They have "Premium Memberships" for people that pay (Host Financial Desecrations) and if you pay em like $74 you can read posting's on there spamlist database and continue to spam people at 3 in the morning asking them if they want hosting.

I just do not WebHostingTalk, and HostHideout is more of an easygoing place that is not solely focused on commercializing itself for profits.

[Chicken]

So I guess now wouldn't be a good time to mention we'll be letting providers advertise on the site soon (banners at the top) eh? ;) :D



:: runs and hides ::

:blowup:

[Dustin Verley]

:D

[Dustin Verley]

400 POSTS - WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[WannaHost]

Originally posted by WannaHost:

Webhostingtalk unlike Hosthideout is a spammed version of hosthideout.com with communistic owners who strive to the goal to demoralize the point of host discussion into there own financial success. Its like the commercial's that tell you how to make a million dollars, you buy there book, and it basically says "Sell a book that says how to make a million dollars."

They have "Premium Memberships" for people that pay (Host Financial Desecrations) and if you pay em like $74 you can read posting's on there spamlist database and continue to spam people at 3 in the morning asking them if they want hosting.

I just do not WebHostingTalk, and HostHideout is more of an easygoing place that is not solely focused on commercializing itself for profits.

[mhavok]

Originally posted by WannaHost:

Hello,
I am of age 15 and I am looking for alternative ways to legitimately join the hosting industry. I have a very in depth understanding of how a hosting company works, and I would legally like to start my own (or run one, under my direction, but under someone else's observation.) I know and have access to all the elements I feel would be needed to run an efficient, profitable, and reputable hosting company. My problem is that, if I were to want to offer e-commerce solutions and reseller solutions like I am looking too, I would need to be under a proper license, and have a way for the payment to be properly accepted (paypal don't like my age.)

I have many methods for success (in my thoughts) that I feel will bring me through with flying colors, on all fronts of the hosting business. I feel I can cater to the business users, resellers, and the personal sites through very low prices on reliable servers. I have a very in-depth knowledge of the workings of both WHM and Ensim, and I can adequately support all questions directed about it. I also have 2 other hardware and software related occupations (legal ones, and local ones) which commonly bring in large sums of profit, but are not currently considered a stable source of the kind of funding I would be interested in.

I am looking for alternatives, on ways to be able to run a business the way I would like to, and be able to collect some of what I make. I have worked for a "GameServer" company before and a webhosting company, and I feel I have been exposed to enough that I could go far in this industry. When I browse forums and the general internet as I do frequently, I feel there are so many opportunities for profitable hosting it would not be to difficult to get a company that is at the least, evening out.

I can fund my clients, support my clients, but there is no way to process it in the form of a valid business. If anyone has any alternatives for me as to what I can do to start in this endless venture of caffeine, flaming, and support calls, please do not hesitate to post.

-WannaHost

Before you even start I would strongly recommend writing a STRONG business plan; one of the biggest problems facing new businesses today, and eventully causing them to go out of business is a a weak business plan, or no business plan at all!

As far as legalizing your business, I would suggest talking to your parents about this, you can always put the business in your name when you turn 18 (If you are still in business of course). LLC is your best bet, but if you think forming a corporation would be better for your needs then I suggest forming a S-Corpration.

Also, since you're just starting out I recommend starting out with a reseller account rather than getting a dedicated server, and expand as need be. Starting out too big can cause problems, especially if you are on a tight budget.

You mentioned you are looking for a stable source of income, while down the road you might have this don't expect this from a business just starting out, it takes months, and in some cases years, to even start to profit from a new business.

I hope this helps you, and good luck!