[cobalt-users] Starting a web hosting company.

["Shaun T. Erickson" <ste@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I apologize, up front, if this is off topic, and will gladly discuss it 
in private, if the list wishes.

I would like to start my own web hosting company. It would be something 
I do in addition to my regular day job, with the hope that eventually it 
would grow to replace that day job.

I'm wondering about the feasibility of starting with one RaQ 550 on a 
1.1Mbit SDSL line, and then adding more RaQs and bandwidth as needed. 
The initial low priced offering would be geared at personal web sites, 
which I would expect (?) to be low bandwidth, until there was enough 
revenue coming in to pay for better bandwidth (and more servers), which 
business web sites would expect, and for which I could offer more 
services at a higher fee. The server(s) would, of course, be UPS 
protected and backed up. Technically, I have the skills (I'm a Senior 
Unix System Administrator, at Bell Labs, with a bit over 6 years 
experience).

Questions are:

How many low bandwidth sites can be hosted on a RaQ 550?
How many low bandwidth sites could a 1.1Mbit SDSL line support, without 
the customers screaming access is too slow?
How would I advertise/find customers?

What else should I be asking that I'm not? Is what I propose feasible 
and at all realistic?

I invite any and all feedback.

   -ste