This question has been asked over and over again since web hosting has become so popular. There are a lot of different answers on the Web, but we will try to e objective and, hopefully, you will be more educated in this matter after finishing this article. First, let's be clear on some things. Web hosting is not an easy business and nor will it make you rich overnight. Although popular Content Management Systems (CMS) and Control Panels (CP) make a lot of people think that managing a server is an easy task, know that these systems have their limitations. Unfortunately, there are things that no system can do for you. So, let's get started! Time involved and financials Think of it this way; your customers will need technical and sales support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So before you start your web hosting company, think about how much time you can invest in it. And let's face it, you will be unable to provide support 24/7! The best thing to do is hire a few other people to manage it. Not many, just two or three. You should have all these things sorted out before you start the company because if your clients don't get the support they need, you will start seeing negative reviews all over the Internet. You will also need to invest money in the infrastructure (servers, routers, hubs, bandwidth, etc). Aside infrastructure, you will need to buy licenses to dozens of software products. Software and knowledge You will need to know what are the latest software, their price, and how they work. Software is not cheap and you will need a lot of it if you want to satisfy all your clients. You must also know how it works. For example, if you are running Windows Server, you will need to have extensive knowledge of IIS. You can find all about it in Microsoft's Knowledge base, but it will take a lot of time to learn it all. You must definitely know everything about the options available, security issues, and should be always on the lookout for any new patches. If you plan to use Linux, a good knowledge of Secure Shell Security (SSH) is a must. You can use a control panel, Cpanel, and its Web Host Manager, but without extensive knowledge of Telnet Commands, you will be unable to control it. Actually starting the company There are a few easy steps. First, you must register a company name (DBA name). Second, you must purchase or lease the servers. You need to make room for the servers and their afferent cables, switches, hubs, and so on. Next, you will have to find bandwidth provider(s). The final step is to start marketing your services and hope clients will be attracted by your offer.
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