If you’re really serious about starting a web hosting company, then you need to make sure to take the legal steps necessary to protect your personal assets.
When I got my start working online in the late 90s, the first thing I did, was have my lawyer form a corporation. Here in the United States, small businesses have to pay some pretty hefty taxes. By creating your own legal corporation, you’re able to open a separate bank account just for your business, and easily keep track of your revenues and expenses.
You NEVER want to mix your personal finances with your business. Not only is this an accounting nightmare, it is a very big legal liability.
While we never want to think of bad things happening, sometimes they do. If an unfortunate situation comes about such as a lawsuit, you could be held personally responsible if you’re not operating through a corporation. That means your car, your home, and your personal bank account(s) could be subject to satisfying a court order.
With the rise of cheap legal referral services such as LegalZoom, spend the extra hundred or two it costs, and get things done the right way. I suggest EVERYONE that is wanting to enter this as a real business to first consult with a lawyer and/or an accountant to make sure things are setup the right way from the beginning.
The second step to starting your own web hosting business, is to build out your website where customers can see what you offer and signup for your service.
Unlike the early days of the Internet, you no longer have to pay a web developer or even understand how to code HTML to get this done. All you need to be able to do is install WordPress (which we offer a one click install through cPanel), install a nice theme, and customize it to fit your needs.
Install WordPress
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s likely you already know what WordPress is. It’s the most-used content management system (CMS) on the Internet today. It powers nearly 20% of all websites on the Internet today!
About a decade ago, if you used WordPress, it was most likely for your blog. They’ve steamrolled passed that, now offering a platform for everyone around the globe, to be able to create, design, and manage their own website.
Step 1: Dedicated What Domain You Want It On
For most of you, this is going to be on your root domain (i.e. www.namehero.com).
This is most-likely the name of your reseller account.
If you’ve purchased with us here at NameHero, your website will automatically be added to Web Host Manager. To install WordPress:
- Login to NameHero control panel
- Click Cloud Web Hosting
- Click on your Reseller package name
- Click on Login to cPanel
- Click on list accounts
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click WordPress
- Click Install Now
- Fill out the required fields (note if you’re installing on the root domain remove ‘wp’ from the “In Directory” text-field.
- Click Install
VIDEO TUTORIAL: How To Setup WordPress
Ryan Gray is the founder and CEO of NameHero, one of the fastest growing independent web hosts in the United States. Ryan has been working online since 1998 and has over two-decades experience in Internet Entrepreneurship.
Loving this new series on starting a reseller web hosting company. I’ve been looking for something like this for a while.
Awesome man! Glad we can help!!