Starting a hosting business is a great idea, but you would have understood that the hosting industry is already very competitive so you will require a good amount of dedication to make a success. It?s usually not possible as a new hosting provider to be competitive against some of the larger providers who have been in the industry for quite a few years, so you must plan an alternative approach allowing you to obtain clients.
Most new providers tend to offer local development services and obtain clients this way to fund the service and then tend to approach the hosting industry when they become financially sound through their current clients.
You also need to consider the following points-
1. Setup a well detailed website
2. Make sure you have a good technical support plan. A ticket system, phone and live support are always good.
2. Make sure you have a good billing system in place. Things like Modernbill or Clientexec are good scripts that help.
3. Select a proper advertising media. Things like banner ad, word of mouth, buiness cards, link exchanges etc work effectively.