Reseller hosting is a lucrative way to make money. Reseller hosting is when someone or an organization lease or buys servers from a web hosting provider. After making the purchase, the individual or the company can sell that space to a third party. They can also provide additional web hosting service to their customers, depending on the type of package bought. If you are considering using this as a way to make some extra cash, or to start your own business it is important that you weigh the pros and cons before making such a huge decision.

Pros

One of the biggest pros is that it is relatively cheap to start as web hosting plans for resellers are smartly priced. You also do not have to worry about purchasing technology, infrastructure, and equipment that is usually required when you are web hosting. All of that comes from the parent web hosting service, which takes the pressure off of you.

Another great thing about being a reseller is you have a bigger company with more resources to provide server maintenance, connectivity, and security. It is the parent company’s responsibility to provide you with all of those things so that you can focus on running your business. Essentially, you have the option of outsourcing all of the technical tasks that come with being a reseller.

Let us say that you have a customer that gets a lot of traffic to their website. If you are a reseller, you can run different parts of your website from more than one URL as well as different servers. You can do all of this without having to buy more space or more servers.

Since you will be a reseller you will have access to more features. More features mean you can offer more services to your customers.

Cons

One of the main drawbacks of using reseller hosting is that you are solely depending on the parent web hosting company. The success of the parent company is your success, even if you have the technical know-how to get things done. If your parent company’s servers are always down, guess what? So are your servers. This can negatively impact your business.

Another con to consider is that you may still have to provide some level of customer service. Some parent web hosting services can provide you with a team of people strictly for customer service, but you may still have to answer questions. Ignoring these questions, no matter how taxing, can be detrimental to the success of your business.

There may also be a bit of a technical learning curve if you are not familiar with the basics of web hosting. Some of the features and control panels may be difficult to navigate. Also, keep in mind that you will have limited access to the server, which makes doing things without the help of your service provider much more difficult. If you believe you will be changing service providers at any time, it is recommended that you get a dedicated server or VPS.

 Owning a business means you’ll always have a lot on your mind. This isn’t something that everyone is going to enjoy, and it’s part of the reason why not everyone is cut out to be a business owner, but for many more, this is all part of the excitement of running their own business. It might even be why you wanted to start something for yourself to begin with; being the one in ultimate control with no one to ask for certainly does have its advantages.  

Unfortunately, when there is so much to think about, even the most organised of people can sometimes make mistakes and let some areas of the business get on top of them. The business’s finances is one of these areas. One way to combat this is to outsource your accounts, but although that might help in some ways, it may not get to the root of the problem. Read on to find out how to stay on top of your business finances. 

Don’t Mix Your Accounts 

When you first started your business and you weren’t sure whether it was going to be a viable concern, or if you would ever run it full-time, you may not have opened a separate business bank account. Perhaps you just used your own personal account rather than making things complicated for yourself. 

If this is still the case today, the complications will have appeared. Trying to determine what a business cost is and what a personal cost is, or trying to budget for anything when you have two sets of finances in one bank account, is going to be hard. You might find you accidentally spend business funds on your weekly shop, or that you use money allocated for your rent to pay a supplier. 

Having a completely separate business bank account is the best option. Everything will be much easier to see, and you won’t make any costly mistakes. Plus your accountant will find their job is easier too! 

Look At The Smaller Costs

There are lots of significant costs associated with business, often relating to buying stock, paying salaries, or paying the rent on a business premises. These are easy to keep track of, and you should always be able to budget for them. However, have you considered the smaller costs? These are the ones that often go unnoticed, and because of this, they can easily grow out of control. 

These smaller costs might surprise you, but they can be contained. Using bank loans or payday loans to combine them and pay them off entirely, and then, once you are up to date, factoring them into your budget is the best option. 

Remember To Invoice 

Finally, we can’t not mention the fact that cashflow can suffer because business owners forget to invoice their customers. No matter how busy you are or how tedious the job is, without proper invoicing you won’t get paid when you expect to be, and that can have a seriously negative effect on the rest of your business. 

Ensure you invoice everyone right away and check you have done so at the end of every week. 

People who hope to be successful in business know that they will have some sacrifices to make along the road. If you’re planning to hit the ground running and make a profit quickly, then you will have to accept it’s going to take hard work and some late nights. It’s well worth it, in the end, but it might not feel like it to begin with as you go for a full week without ever sleeping properly. Slowly but surely, you’ll hit your groove and find everything more manageable, but let’s not pull any punches here; it’s hard to launch a business.

Furthermore, anything you do will be harder if you go into it with additional challenges. The stresses of running a business will be at least doubled if you have doubts over the wisdom of your course of action, or is your ability to react to setbacks is infringed in any way. If you have additional time, space, or financial constraints, it stands to reason that you will find it more challenging to get off the launchpad, so to speak, and to break Earth’s orbit (to extend the metaphor) as you try to get your business into the stratosphere.

It is for this reason that you should make sure part of your business’s launch involves clearing the boards personally, as you make the necessary adjustments to help you get stuck into your startup with the enthusiasm it deserves. Let’s look at the checklist of items you need to deal with ahead of launching your new business.

Don’t let yourself get double-booked

There is an impression that business owners can “have it all”: the successful, profitable business; the harmonious and fun home life; and the healthy lifestyle that allows you to face every challenge with energy and vigour. The truth is that you can certainly have all of that once the business is established – but to begin with you’re going to find your time monopolised by the efforts involved in starting your business and correcting any flaws that are exposed by its early operations. And there are always initial flaws, unfortunately.

You’re going to need to set time aside to make sure you can deal with the often punishing schedule that a startup entrepreneur will face. This may mean having to miss the occasional night out, offer your apologies for a family gathering or two, and sometimes maybe even miss out on a holiday that you’d been looking forward to. Once things are up and running you can re-enter this social landscape with a vengeance, but initially you’ll need to be prepared to say “no” to some engagements. That’s hard to do, but you’ve got a very good reason for it, so be prepared to say “no, for the moment” – people will understand why you’re doing it as long as you’re prepared to explain.

Don’t be held back by debt

In business, you will often have to make big decisions against a deadline. Sometimes, those decisions will be expensive ones and they may involve borrowing. Few people run a business entirely debt-free these days, and if you don’t have at least the option of a credit line you’ll find yourself hamstrung. For this reason, you don’t want to begin your startup story with a significant list of debts already on the table. It can complicate any attempt to borrow more, and even if you do secure more borrowing it will add another commitment you don’t want.

Before embarking on your startup journey, it is therefore wise to simplify your personal debt picture – pay off any cards and loans that you can, in full, and have at most one or two commitments including your mortgage. For those you can’t immediately cover, consider the benefits of debt consolidation loans to streamline your commitments. If you had to be totally debt-free to enter the business world, that would rule most of us out. What you do need is to have your debt under control, and that’s not impossible.

Get a clean bill of health

Having a startup usually means a lot of late nights and early mornings. It can mean missed meals and a fairly scattered approach to getting the nutrients and the rest that you need. Ideally, these sacrifices will be kept to a minimum, but there is inevitably a lot you can’t be sure of when you’re starting out, so you’ll need to be ready for them. It is essential that you know where you stand health-wise before you commit yourself to what is a very draining experience.

If you’ve been experiencing any symptoms, talk them over with your GP and understand their implications (if there are any). Commit to a full check-up, including blood pressure and general wellness monitoring, and ask your doctor’s advice on how to best ensure your health during this time. You don’t want to carry any question marks into such an important period in your life.

Ensure you have the space for everything

People often talk about needing space – usually metaphorically – during any testing time. While it is certainly important to have metaphorical space that allows you to make decisions without pressure, you do also need literal space. You need somewhere that you can work unencumbered, whether that’s an office where you can take calls and receive business visitors, or storage space where you can keep stock.

If you try to live and work in the same areas, you will find that eventually the two worlds become unacceptably intertwined and you’ll never really be “off the clock”. Commit, from the start, to having a business-free space in your home where you don’t answer your work phone or read any email – because the more your business inserts itself into your home life, the more it becomes like a stressful job you can’t quit, and the less it feels like something you do so you can enjoy life more.

Embarking on the future with a clean slate and clear goals in mind will allow you to give the business your best shot. With any luck, you will be able to ensure the best outcomes for your personal and business lives without having to compromise too much.

Working from home can cause more stress than you might imagine. There are a lot of responsibilities on your shoulder when you work without a manager looking over your shoulder, and you need to be relatively self-disciplined if you want to make use of your time and actually get work done. Stress can kill our productivity and it can ruin our day, but with most of us working from home due to the worldwide COVID-19 situation, it’s become increasingly important to find ways to keep ourselves motivated at home.

So in this post, we’re going to talk about how you can reduce some of the common stress factors that come with working from home.

Create some structure

The first and arguably most important task is to create some structure. Since you’re working from home, you might be tempted to work fewer hours or work in the evening when you don’t normally work. Some people might even try to cram their work into the hours before lunch so they have the rest of the day free. Ideally, you’ll want to create a regular structure like you had when you were working a regular day job. This will help your body adjust to the schedule so you feel more productive during certain hours.

Improving your work environment

It’s also a good idea to improve your work environment. Make sure you get yourself a comfortable chair and desk so that your posture is good and you’re not straining yourself to work. You’ll also want to invest in a pair of cheap glasses if you suffer from eye strain when working. Lastly, make sure you designate a certain part of your home or room to work so that you can train your mind to be in “work” mode when you sit down.

Switch up your work environment

Alternatively, you could also set up a work environment somewhere else. For example, you could consider co-working spaces, a friend’s house or even a quiet local coffee shop. The act of commuting to this work place can sometimes help us get into a productive work mood and shaking up the scenery can be a great way to stay focused. It’s also a great way to surround yourself with other productive people to make it feel more like a working environment.

Coping with distractions

There are many different distractions to deal with when you start working from home. Whether it’s your kids asking you for things, the dog barking or even your phone going off. Practice discipline by avoiding these distractions. Turn off your phone, try to keep the TV and radio off when you work, and consider locking yourself in a study for a couple of hours to try and avoid any potential distractions.

Hopefully, this article has shown you a couple of handy ways to reduce stress at home. One of the key aspects is staying more organized so that your mind is focused and spends less time wandering. Once you have solid goals in mind, you’ll find it much easier to get work done and avoid distractions.

If you are keen to see your savings work more aggressively for you while we are in the throes of a pandemic, you need to consider these side hustles. As you still work full time, you need an activity that is fun, money-making, and can be done in your spare time. Some investments need more time and effort than others, so consider how many resources you can dedicate to your new pursuits. Follow this simple guide and you could soon be topping up your nest egg with the profits from your side hustles.

The Markets

Rather than emulating an investment banker and trying your luck on Wall Street, you can embark on a journey into the world of Forex. Trade Forex and you could find yourself buying yen against the dollar and selling sterling against the krona. You can set up an account with a third party platform and learn the skills of making money by trading currencies. You can set up a dummy account initially and practice with some Monopoly style money. This allows you to work on your strategies without the added pressure of losing your cash. When you’re ready, you can give the trading a go for real. Only ever trade what you can afford to lose and try to do your research by learning from the wealth of tutorials and vlogs online.

Property

The investment that most people go-to as a side hustle is property. By investing some of your hard-earned cash into bricks and mortar you can end up with an asset that will pay for itself over time. Choose the worst house on the best street, do it up by following a renovation plan, and then market it to renters and you could end up with tenants that pay your mortgage each month. This allows your bricks and mortar asset to accrue in value while you pay nothing towards your home loan. Keep this asset for the long haul and you may find that a decade or so later, you can sell your second pad for a handsome profit. You can then pocket this to reinvest or simply top up your savings.

Wine

If you have never considered wine as an investment but you do like the odd tipple every now and then, consider purchasing a few bottles of the finest vintages. Think of wine as you would antiques or fine art. The older and more scarce it becomes, the more sought after it will be. Do your research and discover those up and coming wines that are popular. Riojas from the early noughties always do well and increase in value over time. Buy a few bottles and store them in your cellar or with a professional storage firm. Keep an eye on the market and when you think that it has peaked, sell your wine a pocket the profit.

Side hustles need to be accessible and not too labour intensive. It’s all too easy to become stressed by your side hustle if you risk too much, don’t spread your investments, or spend too much time and effort employing strategies to make money. Remember, this should be a simple way to make some extra cash. Follow this guide and you can pocket some profit during this global pandemic.

Your website is perhaps one of the most effective tools to grow your business. However, a lot of entrepreneurs simply avoid using their website. Instead, they favour word-of-mouth marketing because it takes less personal investment and they rely on referrals and recommendations to get noticed. While this can work if you’re attempting to reach a certain demographic or audience, it’s actually fairly slow and there could be more effective ways for you to use your website.

So in this post, we’ll be looking at some of the best ways to grow your business using your website. This will include different kinds of features and services that make your website more enticing for users to visit.

Is your business on Google?

The first thing to do is to add your business to Google’s directory if it’s a physical store. If it’s not, then you don’t need to be concerned with your listing.

However, you also want to get on Google’s search results. This requires the effective use of search engine optimization. This generally involves using specific keywords that you aim to rank for so that people can find your website. It also involves making use of the content on your website to deliver value to your visitors. To make this easier, we suggest contacting an SEO agency to help you get your website to the front page of a search result. Ideally, you’ll want to be at the number one spot for maximum visibility, but this can take a bit of time to achieve if you’re a relatively new company.

Are you selling your products and services online?

This may seem like a strange question to ask, but many entrepreneurs don’t actually sell products or services in a simple manner on their website. Some business owners might only display what they sell on their website but they go through other services like Amazon, eBay or even a retail store to sell their products. If customers can buy directly from your website, it makes the sales process a whole lot easier and means your website gets more traffic.

Similarly, make sure you sell your services online with some automated systems. The least you should be doing is offering some kind of online quote system that automatically shows your prices depending on your customer’s needs.

Do you update your website often?

It’s important that you update your website as much as possible. This not only adds more content to your website for Google to index and use for SEO fuel, but it also shows your customers that you’re active and care about your business.

A great way to update your website is to have both a news and a blog section. The news section should be used to update your customers on new products and updates. The blog section can be used for guides on how to use your products and services, or even to update them on the status of your new products and how they’re being developed.

Are you designing your new business website? There are various key pieces that need to be included in the design and structure. Here are some of the parts of your website that you can’t miss. 

Chatbot 

First, you need to make sure that you do add a chatbot to your website. You might assume that a chatbot isn’t going to fit into your business budget. However, we’re pleased to tell you that they are an affordable option for smaller companies and highly beneficial. With a chatbot, you will be able to guarantee that consumers can ask direct queries. This is great if your site structure isn’t perfect and let’s be honest, it probably isn’t. It’s difficult to get the structure of your website right and even harder to correct it later on in the life of your business. 

With a chatbot, consumers can cut through the jumble on your site and find exactly what they want or need. It can ensure that there’s less stopping a user from making a critical purchase decision. 

Blog 

You also need to make sure that you are setting up a blog on your site too. With a blog, you can provide the perfect platform for providing customers with more in-depth information including direct and indirect marketing. You should have a blog regardless of the type of site you are setting up. It’s a great way to fill your site with content and still keep it looking clean and tidy. This is also ideal for SEO purchases and Google always loves a good blog. Remember, you should be adding new content to your site about once a day. However, it can’t be random content. It needs to reach a high level of quality and offer value to your users. 

About Page 

It’s also important that you have an ‘About’ page on your business site. An ‘About’ page provides users with key information about not just what your business is but who you are. Research shows that consumers are more likely to buy from a business when they understand a little more about the person behind it. Indeed, your ‘About’ page should be highly personal and specific to you. It should talk about your goals and your ideals as a business owner and the direction you want to take your company in the future. With a strong ‘About’ page, you will see a high level of conversions. 

Search Bar 

Finally, you need to ensure that your website does have a search bar. Similar to a chatbot, a search bar provides users with a way to cut straight through your site directly to what they want. This could be a product page or a key piece of information about your business. However, a search bar will provide another benefit. It will allow you to find out exactly what customers are searching for when they visit your site. This can provide you with a way to fill holes in demand and ensure that your content is clearly targeted for people visiting your website. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key traits that should be part of your business website.