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All reseller guides
- How reseller hosting works
- Start a hosting business
- Reseller vs master reseller
- Pricing your hosting plans
- Choosing a reseller plan
- WHM and cPanel explained
- Creating hosting packages
- White-label branding
- Billing with WHMCS
- Taking payments from clients
- Selling domains
- Moving clients to your account
- Supporting your clients
- Growing your hosting business
In short
Pick who you will serve, register a brand and domain, start on a reseller plan, create two or three packages, set up WHMCS for billing and payments, then win your first clients from people you already know. You can launch in a week without buying servers.
Step 1: choose who you serve
Hosting is easier to sell to a group you understand: churches and schools, real-estate agents, restaurants, your web design clients. A clear niche makes your website, prices and marketing simpler.
Step 2: brand and domain
- Pick a short name and register the domain (see choosing a domain name).
- Register the business (CIPC registration and SARS tax number) so you can issue invoices and open a business account.
- Make a simple logo: it goes on your website, invoices and cPanel.
Step 3: choose your reseller plan
Start with the smallest plan that fits your first 10–20 clients; you can upgrade without moving anyone. See choosing a reseller plan and the reseller plans (from R 375 a month).
Step 4: set up your brand on the server
- Private nameservers: ns1 and ns2.yourbrand.co.za.
- Your logo in cPanel.
- Details in white-label branding.
Step 5: create packages
Two or three packages are enough to start. See creating hosting packages and pricing your hosting plans.
Step 6: billing and payments
Use WHMCS so orders, invoices, reminders and suspensions run themselves (billing with WHMCS). Hostnali reseller plans include a free WHMCS licence (discounted on Budget Reseller). Let clients pay by card and EFT through WHMCS payment gateways.
Step 7: sell domains too
Most hosting clients need a domain. Offer domains through the free domain reseller program; see selling domains.
Step 8: your first clients
- Start with people you know: past web design clients, friends’ businesses, your church or community groups.
- Offer to move their sites for free.
- Ask happy clients for referrals.
More in growing your hosting business.
What it costs to start
A reseller plan, a domain, and your time. No servers, no data centre and no technical staff: we handle the infrastructure, 24/7.