Simply Junior

As everyone reading should know (just by being here!), web hosts own and operate the servers, or dedicated “communications computers,” that allow users to place websites on the Internet for public and/or private viewing and use. Before choosing a web host, a user must first have a registered domain name and the ability to create the pages that will be uploaded, although some hosts will provide basic tools for this.

A user has three possible options for a web hosting service-virtual private servers, shared servers and dedicated servers-but the purpose of this article is to offer help in selecting among the two most popular kinds, dedicated and shared. These are differentiated by the amount of control a user needs or wants, as well as level of responsibility the user must share in the smooth, consistent and continuous running of the website and the server on which it is located. Shared web hosting

As the name denotes, shared web hosting means a number of small to medium-sized users upload their websites and “serve” them up to the Internet from a single, shared server. This is a popular option for beginners, individuals, small and/or new business, or organizations such as non-profits with limited budgets. All shared web hosting packages offer very little in the way of bandwidth (traffic) and disk space (storage). The shared option is the best choice when the user does not expect much traffic and doesn’t need to store space-hogging media files (audio, video, animations, etc.). With a shared web hosting deal, the maintenance of the server, its organization of files, software installations, security updates and so forth are the responsibility of the host provider.

The host is accountable for keeping the server up and running, and they will use powerful “administration” software to run the entire server, while offering the individual users limited “control panels” for managing their own sites. Most of the shared web servers are running on the Linux Operating System (OS) as it has tremendous flexibility and is an open-source (essentially free) OS. However, other web host providers use the Microsoft Windows platform, and some use both Linux and Windows. Dedicated web hosting

As the name once again suggests, dedicated web hosting means each website is on a single, dedicated server, shared with no other website under any conditions. This is the option to take when a user expects to get a large amount of traffic and/or needs much more bandwidth then available in a shared hosting package. Dedicated servers can handle volume traffic with greater ease, and will be required if you need complex web applications, secure information exchange and highly customized activities at your website.

The dedicated server hosting plans give the user 100% control over their sites and servers, but with that comes 100% of the responsibility to keep the website running smooth and performing consistently. This type of web hosting, therefore, requires the user to have the technical and managerial knowledge to monitor the systems and rectify any problems at once. This type of hosting is best for professionals who need full control, which obviously includes large corporations and organizations as well as most commercial operations.

A recap of comparative strengths:

- Shared servers are servers that are shared with several other businesses or organizations, and you will have only limited control over server operations. You will have full control over your own site’s look and operation, however, but remember that someone else on the server can bring your site down.

- A dedicated server is one that is used only by you, and can’t be interfered with by a third party. If you have the requisite expertise and equipment, it can be maintained and hosted at your own place of business, although it is more frequently done at a hosting company’s location.

- The size of the budget you are working, and the specific details of your business needs and Internet goals, will determine which hosting service you choose.

- A dedicated server belongs to you and no other recipient. You have all control over the “box”, which means you will pay a higher price for a dedicated server. Shared servers can be less costly, by splitting the cost with several other users.

- Dedicated servers are perfect for those businesses that have crucial security concerns about the way they acquire, store and use customer or other confidential information. E-commerce sites are a good example of this. If your business is involved in E-commerce, then a dedicated server is the way to go.

- You might prefer a dedicated server, simply because your business image may be compromised without one. If you happen to find your shared server is hosting an adult website or other unsavory enterprise, such as spammers or hackers, this may end up reflecting on your own business.

- The actions of others on a shared server can bring your site down in many ways, not the least of which is by attracting the attention of authorities that may want to shut down the entire server. Concern for reputation is a definite reason to use a dedicated server vs. a shared one.

Small businesses are easy to start up because of the low capital requirement and due to the fact that you do not need a high level of staffing. However, there are some basic plans you would need to do before coming on stream.

What do you need to do?

1. Starting capital: You need to have a starting capital ready. The amount of money you need depends on the kind of business you have in mind and the level at which you wish to start off. Generally. You do not need a large amount of money to start, but you need to plan other areas so that the small income you start with would be judiciously utilized.

2. Location: The location where you site your new business is very important. You should think of a place where you would be guaranteed of high traffic coming to patronize you. It would be wise therefore to site your small business in the heart of town/city rather than in outskirt of the city where anybody can hardly hear about it. If it is sited in the heart of the city people would not pay huge amount on transport before they can get to you. After all you have just started, nobody knows you yet. So why should they spend that much to locate you when there are several people rendering the same services you wish to render to them?

3. Accommodation: You need a decent and cheap accommodation to start up your new business. You have to think of a place where your customer can be comfortable and feel relaxed when they come to patronize you. Therefore you should not use a dilapidated place that would cost you a fortune to put in shape. As you look for a decent accommodation you must remember you do not have to spend your life savings securing an accommodation. You need to look for something moderate yet decent. If possible you should pay for a least a year upfront and relax thereafter to do business. Sometimes the business may not pick up on time; so taking care of your accommodation means you would not be kicked out by your landlord because of failure to meet up monthly rents.
However, if you are very sure of encouraging daily sales it would be wise to settle for a monthly rent so you have enough capital to plough into your business.

4. Staffing: To start up you need few to moderate staff; you should get competent hands that are willing to work for a moderate pay so that you would be able to meet up with their monthly salaries. You can increase their salaries as your business grows. You must as a rule avoid hiring incompetent hands simply because they are cheap; instead employ few qualified hands and add your personnel services to theirs to put your business on its feet. You may employ cheap labour for the non-sensitive areas like cleaning, security, transport, etc. Everything must be moderate; don’t start two big otherwise you would run out of cash too soon and also out of business

5. Running capital: You need to have some reserved capital available for the daily running of the business. You need money for transportation/fueling, staff monthly salary, and miscellaneous expenses. Therefore, you should remember to keep aside some money that would help you to keep your business running.

6. Advertisement: Think of how to let people know about your business and the services you can render. You need to advertise your business either online or offline. You may need to print business cards or handbills which you distribute to customers. You may also need to place adverts on newspapers if you have the money. You definitely need to let people know your business exists so they would patronize you. On the internet you may use resources that wouldn’t cost you much – social media, blogs, e-books, newsletters, etc.

Writing a business plan is very important for a small business. You have to explain your background, qualifications, experience and your capacity to implement the project. A good business plan is absolutely essential to convince the banks and financial institutions to lend you money for the project

Your business plan should explain who is starting the project. What is the project? When are you starting the project? Why are you starting the project? How are you going about it? The results expected from the project, should also be mentioned.

Your background and qualifications have to be explained in detail. You have to explain what projects you have done before. You should give a detailed explanation of the product or service you are going to launch. And also the competition you might face. If you are already in business, you should also give details of the activities of the company or business. The revenue expected should be mentioned in detail.

If it is new business the details of how you are setting up the business. How long it would take to set it up? Your production and sales targets should also be mentioned. How you are meeting these targets should also be explained.

Where are you going to set up the business? Whether it is a shop or a factory? How are you acquiring the land? The details of construction of the building and the costs involved should be mentioned.

Your marketing plans will have to be explained. Who are your customers and how are you going to reach them should be explained. Whether you are hiring a marketing company to market your product or marketing it on your own has to be explained. If you are planning an expansion, the details of how it would be financed should be mentioned.

You have to do quite a bit of ground work and research before starting any new project. It is always better to have contingency plans to get over any unforeseen problems. I have seen people visualizing various scenarios, and making plans to face them. It is always better to look before you jump.

Contrary to popular opinion Cloud Computing is NOT just a new computer architecture – it’s much more than that.

It is a new computer architecture and a new business model. It is the combination of the 2 that allows you easy access to computer resources when you need them, paying only for what you use.

Cloud Computing Is Akin to the Development of Electric Utilities

An analogy that is sometimes drawn is with the development of electricity. In the early days of electricity there were no electrical utility companies. There was no concept of the electrical grid with a third party generating the electricity and then selling it on to a large number of clients. If you wanted electricity you had to make it yourself. Factories requiring electricity had to install and operate their own electrical generators. This required significant amounts of capital and operating expertise. Then people started to build generators big enough to serve multiple factories and start to sell it. All the factory owner had to do was plug into the service and pay for what they used.

Reduced Capital Requirements And Lower Fixed Costs

The factories reduced their capital requirements and no longer had the high fixed cost of retaining the expertise to run their own generators. Cloud computing is a bit like that – plug in via the internet and get all the computing power and resources that you need, but only pay for what you use.

Cloud Computing – A Definition

The Cloud is that collection of computing resource (applications, servers, data, etc.) held out there “on the internet,” accessed via your broadband connection with a pay-as-you go business model wrapped around it. It’s a great concept: one that will make computing easier, cheaper and more available for all businesses particularly small to medium sized businesses.

No Need For A Server In The Office With Cloud Computing

With Cloud Computing you won’t buy expensive servers and install them in your office. Instead the server(s) and application(s) that you use will be out in the Cloud. You won’t necessarily own them, just as you don’t own the electrical generating plant that supplies your electricity. You will just plug in and pay for what you use. Without the need to purchase a server or your applications your up-front Capital Cost will be much lower, or perhaps even zero. Instead you will pay a monthly fee for the use of server resource, applications and their IT Support.

But The Biggest Benefit Of Cloud Computing Is Agility
Lower capital requirements and lower fixed costs is all that it will take to “sell” Cloud Computing to most companies. However the main benefit will really be agility – the ability to rapidly scale computing resource to fit the business need – more, or less, servers and workstations within days. No longer will business plans be held back (to the same degree) by the ability to implement IT infrastructure projects. Those companies that really succeed with Cloud Computing will certainly take the savings but make real use of the business agility that it delivers.

When you start a business, you sit down and write a business plan (at least, you should do this). After your business is up and running, you will have to take that next step which includes marketing. Before you decide the first move of your marketing campaign, before you spend a single cent of your marketing budget, you have to write a small business marketing plan as well. And, just as the business plan spelled out all of the needs and possibilities of the new business, your small business marketing plan should also spell out the goals that you would like to accomplish.

Whether you are talking about a small business that provides a local service or a larger business that has a broader customer base, the first and most obvious goal of the marketing plan should be to increase the number of customers and the number of sales that you have. These are similar but different goals: you can increase the number of people who are coming to your front door or visiting your web site without increasing your sales by a single penny. You do need to get more people to have a look at your business, but you need them to actually open their wallets and shop once they get there.

When you are making your marketing plan, you are setting a road map for the marketing campaign and hopefully answering a number of questions that come up along the way. You might have some concerns about the cost of the marketing or may wonder what the best type of marketing is for your business. You might also wonder about where you should do the bulk of your marketing. As you answer these questions your small business marketing plan will start to take shape.

After it is written and implemented, the next step in the small business marketing plan is to decide whether it is working or not. You set the goals and the time line for those goals to determine how well the plan is working. As an example, you could say that you want to increase your sales by a set amount in three months or increase interest in your business by a certain percentage, or a combination of both.