Cheap server/web hosting for small business?

Dayzed&Confused · 15 Oct 2012 at 20:56

Hi,
my family and I are in the process of setting up a business, but have hit some metaphorical fired clay. There are no UK web hosts dealing with small businesses that have enough scope for expansion; they all tie us down to a minimum 6 month contract, by which point our business should have expanded beyond the budget hosting limits. I have tried looking into lease options for servers of our own, but have no idea where to start, therefore, I have decided to consult the wisest and most reliable advisers I have, the members of OCUK's forums. Which is better, buying hosting or buying a server? Whichever is best, may I have some suggestions as to what to go for?
Thanks for any help,

Dayzed&Confused · 18 Oct 2012 at 20:49

As far as I can recall, the site is mostly php (I'm not a web designer, been meaning to learn but gcses in the way), if we can get the publicity/marketing right we would have a few thousand people visiting each day, and for each person who uses our services, they will add a text file (presumably a few kilobytes) and up to twenty images ( not sure what size that will be), in the first year, it is unlikely that we will have more than a thousand customers, unless I really earn my pay (I'm responsible for marketing). The server will need to be reliable, have fast response maintenance (if we buy one that means me), and be secure enough to deal with card transactions/personal details without problems. Is that enough information, or should I get our web designer to suplly further info when he's free?

Dayzed&Confused · 21 Oct 2012 at 22:16

TRNC said:
Do you have any idea what is involved in getting a new business off the ground and doing the right kind of marketing, in the right way to drive thousands of people to your site every day???

I think you vastly underestimate what is involved, especially with your comment about dealing with card transactions and personal details - i take it you've read up on PCI-DSS certification and the ICO's guidelines on data protection and registration??

That aside i'd wholly recommend TSOHost's cloud system, we use it for over 20 sites, some large some small and never had a problem. Support is first class too.

Has TSOHost's cloud hosting been approved under the terms of the Data Protection Act by a superior English court? If not, then you cannot be certain that said system is fully compliant with the Act and therefore you could still be held liable under the Act. To use legal theory in statutory interpretation is one thing, to have a court decide in your favour and set a precedent is quite another. To simply assume that your legal interpretation is correct without clarification by a court is skating on thin ice.

Dayzed&Confused · 22 Oct 2012 at 22:04

TRNC said:
Totally irrelevant about TSOHosts systems, my business is registered and complaint with the data proteciton act as regulated by the IPO.

Umm..... very interesting, you appear to have registered your cloud database with the I.P.O. (Intellectual Property Office); presumably your are off with fairies on your cloud as you should have registered it with the I.C.O. (Information Commissioners Office). By the way the I.C.O. has to operate within the constitution which means that it is subject to precedent and has to operate within the law. If the I.C.O. acts ultra vires it can be challenged in the superior courts through judicial review. Ergo, the I.C.O. is the administrator of the law and nots its interpreter. Therefore, to simply rely on the I.C.O.'s opinion is not prudent and you had better make certain that your indemnity insurance covers you because one day a cloud system will be breached and there will be the smell of manure in the morning followed by the sound lawyers rubbing their hands in glee.

Out of interest, what are your areas of expertise, aside from advanced B.S. and misuse of the English language?

Dayzed&Confused · 22 Oct 2012 at 23:01

TRNC said:
*** Quote removed **

Err half term? long words for a kid, maybe that's why I'm predicted A*s without difficulty? You claimed that

my business is registered and complaint with the data proteciton act as regulated by the IPO

from that, the questions registered with whom and what proteciton means, as well as how you typoed P with C when they are nowhere near each other on the keyboard? As for the business side of things, I stated thousands of visitors, rather than users, as users would have registered with us, while visitors simply browse, for users, I stated that it was unlikely that we would gain more than one thousand registered users in the first year. I have no need of copy and paste, aside from in quotes, My legal information is gained from growing up, and working with, a family of lawyers. It would appear that you need to learn to proof-read, research and comprehend what you have written or viewed, therefore, I suggest that you return to school and learn not to patronise those who are younger, though not necessarily less well versed than yourself. As to my being an apparent internet troll, I suggest you take a long look in the mirror, and reflect on how you were instantly hostile to those requesting assistance in areas in which they are unfamiliar.

Dayzed&Confused · 27 Oct 2012 at 13:25

Temporarily gone with siteopia on the advice of an associate, partly because they are close enough to be held to account, any issues with them that we should know about.

Dayzed&Confused · 27 Oct 2012 at 18:30

sithlord said:
Siteopia are poor.

Ive been dealing with them in transferring domains.. they take ages to reply and handle simple requests. Literally days.

Really, they seem to have been fairly prompt so far, the only difficulties we've had with them turned out to be down to Cardiff University's firewall stopping our site-developer from uploading bits.