Thread: How to Stay Focused Growing Your Webhosting Business by Dustin Cisneros, CEO of RackNerd

RackNerd recently shared the news on WHT that we have made it onto the 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals list - achieving a 253% growth rate and ranking No. 58 on the Pacific list. Being honored by Inc. 5000 reminds us that persevering through challenges, keeping customers at the heart of what we do, and staying true to our vision has allowed us to create opportunities and expand. If you are starting your own web hosting company, or perhaps you are already in the hosting business and are eager to expand/grow, perhaps some of these tips may help you stay focused

Embrace the American Dream Philosophy

What is the American Dream? According to Investopedia, the “American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.”

It serves as a reminder that, regardless of who you are or where you come from, with determination and a clear vision, overcoming obstacles and achieving significant milestones is within reach.

Before we get into the rest of the tips, I want you to first write down what your version of the "American Dream" means to you. Then, use that as a fixed anchor point (that will be your operating basis). Anything and everything you do, should be aligned with that anchor point. From there, you’ll start writing your own success story, and overtime you’ll figure out what works and what doesn’t work. It’s not going to be easy – but if you remain committed, focused, and persistent – I can guarantee you that your hard work will pay off.

Convert Skepticism into Motivation

Facing skepticism is a common part of the entrepreneurial journey. Rather than being deterred by doubt, use it as motivation to push boundaries and prove detractors wrong. This brings us to our next point:

Information is NOT knowledge

Feeling demotivated? Just because you heard something from someone before, doesn’t necessarily mean it should be taken at face-value. I'll give you an example, how many times have you heard someone say "the web hosting industry is too saturated"? Contrary to popular belief, I truly believe that there is plenty of business to go around for everyone.

Evaluate the information you’re intaking – where and who are you getting your information from? Are you getting your information from someone who gave up on their dreams, or perhaps from someone who doesn’t truly have your best interests at heart?

Who are you getting your advice from? Do you know when to disregard information, and do you know when to accept information? Here’s an actual/real example: back when I first decided to start RackNerd (from what now feels to be many moons ago), it’s hard to put a number on those who said I wouldn’t be able to make it. The idea of leaving behind a steady income and starting a new business from the ground up was simply not real to them. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, seeing that spark and turning the doubt into motivation to fully go after my vision was absolutely one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. Looking back, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t change a single thing about my journey.

Stay Consistent and Maintain a Clear Vision

The path to achieving your dreams is paved with hard work and a laser-focused vision. Success requires an unwavering commitment to your goals and the courage to take calculated risks. Understanding that there are no shortcuts to success is crucial. A steadfast dedication to your vision, coupled with the hard work to bring it to fruition, is what separates dreamers from achievers.

Innovate Continuously

Innovation is key! Is your business on top of the latest trends, and evolving its offerings? Constantly seek out new ideas, technologies, and methodologies to stay ahead of the curve. Whether it's introducing new product lines, improving service offerings, or exploring untapped markets, innovation is key to driving growth and maintaining relevance in the web hosting industry. For example (and just to be 100% clear, I bring these points up not to advertise, but as real examples so you can get creative to come up with your own ideas) - RackNerd is staying on top of industry trends, with our most recent expansion to offering Ryzen 7950X VPS's powered by Gen4 NVMe. The market is shifting towards performance oriented offerings, and since the demand is there - we wanted to deliver solutions. Later into 2024, we’ll also be introducing tailored infrastructure solutions for those looking to run AI, large language models (LLM’s), and other deep learning use cases.

Also, what could be beneficial is looking into niche offerings (i.e. solutions for specialized markets) to set yourself apart from just a typical web hosting offering. People want solutions to their problems, so identify that demand, and deliver a solution.

With that being said, I want you to sit down and get creative. Ask yourself: what can you innovate and do differently within your business?

Value Mentorship and Community Engagement

Stay engaged within the community! For the web hosting industry, that means forums such as WHT, and perhaps some Facebook and Linkedin groups to stay connected. Sharing knowledge and experiences is a great way for mutual growth and learning. Being open to mentoring others not only helps them navigate their path, but can also provide you with fresh perspectives and insights that fuel your own growth. Don't be closed off, because no one can possibly know it all. Even after personally being in the web hosting industry for over 16 years, I won't claim to know it all, as I'm constantly learning and exploring new things to stay updated and relevant

Keep Customers At The Heart of What You Do

Always keep customers at the heart of everything that you do! Despite all of your expansion and growth, never lose sight of taking care of your customers, and make sure you develop the correct internal systems and processes in place so that your team is on the same page. For example, many companies tend to cut corners when it comes to staffing or support. My stance is quite different: I prefer to find myself in a situation where we’re overstaffed rather than understaffed. We operate three shifts each day to ensure true 24×7 coverage, with multiple staff members at all times during each shift. For example, there will never be a single shift at our company where there is only one staff member on duty. We’re big believers in team work as well as leveraging each other’s talents, especially in an ever-evolving field.

In addition to this, we put substantial resources into continuous training for our team members (in hindsight, I wish we had started this sooner). This ensures they’re always equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to better serve our customers.

Achieving dreams and growing your webhosting business is possible with perseverance, hard work, and innovation. By following the above tips and staying true to your unique vision, the journey to success becomes not just a possibility/concept, but a reality. Remember, every step forward is a step closer to realizing your version of the American Dream

Keep crushing it! I know you can do it

Congratulations on your accomplishment of being on the Inc. 5000 list at #58 on the list. I think you are truly a big motivation to the industry both in terms of your offers and fast paced growth. It is hard to deny and articles such as these are a good reflection point.

Originally Posted by htbsales

Congratulations on your accomplishment of being on the Inc. 5000 list at #58 on the list. I think you are truly a big motivation to the industry both in terms of your offers and fast paced growth. It is hard to deny and articles such as these are a good reflection point.

Hi @htbsales -- Thank You so much for the support! We've definitely worked extremely hard to make this happen, and I agree with you that these are an excellent reflection point. At the same time, with sharing these, if at least one person can get value out of this, then I can consider that a win.

We have a lot more to do, and will continue our efforts Thank You again.