When I chose my new upstream provider even though I got a great deal on low cost and high quality service, as some have thought they are also one of my competitors. Not true and that comment was based on speculation.
I'll tell you, I made a post once that was about the two secrets to success. I pointed out one of those secrets. Not the second one. Well, the second one is multifaceted. But I will offer you one of those facets.
Choose a company who does not compete with your business model. You can both do web hosting, yet appeal to a different niche or different level of network admins or regular people or small business. Hear me close even though I won't reveal specifically my business model. And mostly because it is unique and I am personally developing it further.
Many of us start out in a simplistic fashion building our company, solutions and everything else based on the obvious. At that point we do these things because we haven't developed our brains enough to look past the obvious. We are by nature creatures of habit. Stepping outside our skin is part of the key in excelling in anything we do and this does not equate to web hosting alone but anything we do in life that holds value and excellence.
Here is part of the key to my own success, I am only two levels away from the back bone. And my upstream provider offers solutions to other businesses. Granted, any user can purchase their products, but not just any user knows how to use their products or even the level of knowledge many do at this level. And the reason I get this is because I did actually go to school and score a 4.0 in networking. If there is anything in DNS I don't get, it doesn't take much for me to look it up and learn it quickly. And I mean within minutes. It will help you if you understand networking in depth and can explain it in simple terms.
Back in 2000 I worked free lance for a company on the west coast as a server level consultant to their clientele which consisted of other server admins and network admins. I had a problem though, I am so technically minded that they could not understand what I was saying to them even though my information was dead nuts. The vice president of the company was usually watching my interaction with the clients as was other operators and we did this on their IRC server so we could talk live with the customers. The vice president of this company talked privately with me one day and told me, You know your stuff. You just are not putting it into terms these people can relate to. I learned much through that experience even though I didn't stay in that line of work long. But I got what he was talking about.
As I began to learn more about relating to regular people and bringing things to their level, by brain developed. LOL
In the early days for me I mostly ran IRC networks and I could write an IRC configuration file in 6 minutes on a slow day and link a server on the network within 30 seconds of completing the file. I'm a strong back end developer and commands in linux either on a local machine or remotely appeal to me more than a GUI on any platform.
So I had to break out of that, not that I mean forgetting what I know because that is still what I am best at. But I had to learn client support and sales and I am still developing that. And for me to have any customers at all in my company is a break through alone.
Here's part of the key. The new upstream provider I have does not offer regular web hosting plans. So basically, no, they are not a competitor. This will help us both to work together as long as we have no personal differences. And as far as I can tell, because we are both highly professional, I don't foresee any personal issues getting in the way.
Since my experience back in 2000, now 17 years later I have developed better social skills, customer support and sales experience. I know, risky right? But, I have come to realize that the owner of the company will try harder than any hireling. Are you getting this?
I can link servers world wide, link them anywhere, set them up, reformat the HD, install the OS, cPanel, Plesk, anything needed. It's easy for me, in fact very easy. I maintain my own network and servers.
Here's what I struggle with - Sales and Support. But........I've kept my eyes and ears open to people who are good at it, listened to them and modeled their expertise.
I learned a long time ago, if you want to be successful, do what successful people do, even if it goes against your grain
I'm doing a lot that goes against my grain. It means stepping out of my skin, laying my own thinking aside and seeing what it takes to be a success. This world is full of people with different thinking than my own who have brilliant minds. I want to tap into that, and so do you. Stop using your own brain to figure it all out and connect with other people and the perspective they have.
I'm ready to grow, I'm ready to move but it has to mean that I am ready to serve people. Unless I can hear what they need and want, all the technology I know and ability in networking and servers means absolutely nothing. The total key is in giving people what they want, at least in a reasonable fashion that serves their needs and provides the means to run your business diligently and effectively. It doesn't mean supporting the free loaders. It means working with reasonable people who actually have a brain. And that means both admin and client alike. Are you getting this?
I'll tell you, I made a post once that was about the two secrets to success. I pointed out one of those secrets. Not the second one. Well, the second one is multifaceted. But I will offer you one of those facets.
Choose a company who does not compete with your business model. You can both do web hosting, yet appeal to a different niche or different level of network admins or regular people or small business. Hear me close even though I won't reveal specifically my business model. And mostly because it is unique and I am personally developing it further.
Many of us start out in a simplistic fashion building our company, solutions and everything else based on the obvious. At that point we do these things because we haven't developed our brains enough to look past the obvious. We are by nature creatures of habit. Stepping outside our skin is part of the key in excelling in anything we do and this does not equate to web hosting alone but anything we do in life that holds value and excellence.
Here is part of the key to my own success, I am only two levels away from the back bone. And my upstream provider offers solutions to other businesses. Granted, any user can purchase their products, but not just any user knows how to use their products or even the level of knowledge many do at this level. And the reason I get this is because I did actually go to school and score a 4.0 in networking. If there is anything in DNS I don't get, it doesn't take much for me to look it up and learn it quickly. And I mean within minutes. It will help you if you understand networking in depth and can explain it in simple terms.
Back in 2000 I worked free lance for a company on the west coast as a server level consultant to their clientele which consisted of other server admins and network admins. I had a problem though, I am so technically minded that they could not understand what I was saying to them even though my information was dead nuts. The vice president of the company was usually watching my interaction with the clients as was other operators and we did this on their IRC server so we could talk live with the customers. The vice president of this company talked privately with me one day and told me, You know your stuff. You just are not putting it into terms these people can relate to. I learned much through that experience even though I didn't stay in that line of work long. But I got what he was talking about.
As I began to learn more about relating to regular people and bringing things to their level, by brain developed. LOL
In the early days for me I mostly ran IRC networks and I could write an IRC configuration file in 6 minutes on a slow day and link a server on the network within 30 seconds of completing the file. I'm a strong back end developer and commands in linux either on a local machine or remotely appeal to me more than a GUI on any platform.
So I had to break out of that, not that I mean forgetting what I know because that is still what I am best at. But I had to learn client support and sales and I am still developing that. And for me to have any customers at all in my company is a break through alone.
Here's part of the key. The new upstream provider I have does not offer regular web hosting plans. So basically, no, they are not a competitor. This will help us both to work together as long as we have no personal differences. And as far as I can tell, because we are both highly professional, I don't foresee any personal issues getting in the way.
Since my experience back in 2000, now 17 years later I have developed better social skills, customer support and sales experience. I know, risky right? But, I have come to realize that the owner of the company will try harder than any hireling. Are you getting this?
I can link servers world wide, link them anywhere, set them up, reformat the HD, install the OS, cPanel, Plesk, anything needed. It's easy for me, in fact very easy. I maintain my own network and servers.
Here's what I struggle with - Sales and Support. But........I've kept my eyes and ears open to people who are good at it, listened to them and modeled their expertise.
I learned a long time ago, if you want to be successful, do what successful people do, even if it goes against your grain
I'm doing a lot that goes against my grain. It means stepping out of my skin, laying my own thinking aside and seeing what it takes to be a success. This world is full of people with different thinking than my own who have brilliant minds. I want to tap into that, and so do you. Stop using your own brain to figure it all out and connect with other people and the perspective they have.
I'm ready to grow, I'm ready to move but it has to mean that I am ready to serve people. Unless I can hear what they need and want, all the technology I know and ability in networking and servers means absolutely nothing. The total key is in giving people what they want, at least in a reasonable fashion that serves their needs and provides the means to run your business diligently and effectively. It doesn't mean supporting the free loaders. It means working with reasonable people who actually have a brain. And that means both admin and client alike. Are you getting this?
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. I can generally skimp a bit on support as I can handle myself serverside, but having good reliability and uptime is a must for me !
