Re: FN-FORUM: Query re. web hosting reselling

date posted 11th October 2006 14:25


Support is the most expensive part of IT.

When your small you tend to do far more than you should as you want/=20
need to keep customers...most times making a loss in the process.


On 11 Oct 2006, at 14:43, Peter Lewis wrote:

>
>
> I learnt the hard way not to supply connectivity. I had a client =20
> who was
> being charged something like =A3800 a year for ADSL. I said that was
> ridiculous then supplied and installed a modem/router and connected =20=

> it to
> his network. As part of the package I also offered to setup all =20
> his email
> account to various users on various PCs. Big mistake. Alas he =20
> was using
> Microsoft Small Business Server and I knew didly squat about it.
>
> I spent 3 days fumbling about trying to get ADSL, web browsing and =20
> emails
> working. Nightmare. What I charged covered about 1/2 a day :o(
>
> =46rom then on I simply supply clients with web hosting and email =20
> addresses.
> I just send them the email details, server, login, web mail, etc. =20
> It's up
> to them to work out how to connect it. Which is what most if not =20
> all ISPs
> would provide.
>
> The Hostgator control panel provides a download (think it's a =20
> registry file)
> which when installed sets up the email account in outlook on the =20
> system.
>
> Even just supplying the emails details, I've had badly setup companies
> ringing up expecting support. In one instance, they were using AOL =20=

> and
> couldn't get or send emails. AOL broadband doesn't support =20
> separate Pop3
> accounts apparently. It does work, but have you have to restart =20
> Outlook
> each time you send!!!
>
> I'd suggest you add an additional extra of email/telephone support =20
> in, or
> consider it and include it in the price.
>
> If you do want to offer on-site setup and installation, unless it's =20=

> your
> field and expertise, I'd strongly suggest farming it out to a 3rd =20
> party
> support company who can cover your area or UK in general.
>
> Over the two and a half years I've been freelancing, I'm constantly =20=

> reminded
> to stick to what you're best at! I'm off to put my feet up then.
>
> Peter.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex Libby [EMAIL REMOVED]
> Sent: 11 October 2006 10:42
> To: FN-FORUM / [EMAIL REMOVED]
> Subject: RE: FN-FORUM: Query re. web hosting reselling
>
>
> Hi Peter and Ash,
>
> I have had a look at Hostgator - it does seem to be very good. =20
> However, I do
> have one question - being a newbie (! - I was thinking of a =20
> previous posting
> from someone about this :-) ) - in terms of hosting websites for =20
> clients,
> are you also providing the means to connect to the Internet as =20
> well, if they
> need it? Or is it simply a matter that you recommend another =20
> service to
> fulfill this requirement, or work on the basis that they already =20
> have a
> connection, but no online presence? The only reason I was thinking =20
> of this
> was that I wanted to be sure of the extent of the services offered =20
> under a
> reseller plan - so far, I have noticed that most do not indicate =20
> anything
> regarding connectivity, and that their services are limited to just =20=

> hosting.
>
> Is this a common practice? I guess this is just me thinking outside =20=

> of the
> box; it occurred to me late last night that Hostgator being a US =20
> reseller, I
> was wondering what normal practices were for connectivity, or whether
> freelancers / web designers would not necessarily provide =20
> connectivity, but
> just the hosting for clients...
>
> Any comments are more than welcome - thank you so far for your help,
>
> Alex.
>
>
>
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