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If you have
money and
experience then you can go as far as buying all
server equipment required, in which case you will also be responsible for all
server maintenance costs.
The other option could be leasing a server as this will be cheaper than buying
server, but here as well you are responsible for all
maintenance and running costs of
server.
In
above two cases you also need to make sure that you have multiple connections with
hosting company so there are no complications in case a connection goes down.
Upside
The best thing about being a reseller is that you do not require a lot of upfront investment.
There is no need to have a lot of technical knowledge. Account management and Internet skills are all that is required. However, it would be really handy if you have some sales and marketing experience so you can interact with your customers better.
The hosting company generally provides and maintains all
hardware and software.
You do not need to hire a lot of IT staff to provide support. Providing basic support and leaving
more technical issues to
parent company support staff can be easily achieved. Downside
Support can sometimes be delayed, as you are dependent on
parent company to handle
technical aspects. If there is a delay from their side then you along with your customer are affected.
Sometimes customers leave you if they find out that you are a reseller and not a real hosting company.
Tips for marketing yourself
If you are starting out on a small scale then visiting message boards and posting your services there is a good idea. A lot of potential clientele with relatively small hosting needs also frequent message boards and outline their desired services.
Having contests is a great idea for bringing awareness and interest about your services.
Online ad campaigns, signatures, and text links are very helpful techniques.
Once you have gotten a bigger budget then you can go for Google ad words or PPC search engines.
The best strategy is to try out various combinations of these approaches and work out
best one for your needs.

Ashish Jain M6.Net http://www.m6.net