Hello,

When I was posting today I realized that people use to call me a "kiddie" host; however, I have not been called that lately. I was curious as to if I had kiddie host removed or they just gave up on making fun of my staff and i.

When does a hosting company have kiddie host status taken away?

Is it after a year?

Is it after $10,000.00/year in sales?

Is it when you have acquired two hosting companies in the past two weeks who are much bigger then you?

Is it when you have the coolest latest software to automated everything?

Is it when you have servers?

How about when you get an office?

When you deliever 100% uiptime for more then six months straight?

When your mommy and daddy are no longer your call center operators? (never was with me)

When does that title disappear? I am now worried whether I can call my self a "real" host or I still have the title "kiddie" host. Can someoen tell me?

When they're professional enough to realize the difference.

webfreak08,

I guess I was never a kidde host then. I was hoping that maybe being in preschool and providing web hosting during my snack and nap breaks was good enough.

On a total different note, it is amazing to see what the industry considers a kidde host and then how some of them emerge as super stars because they are doing things right.

I remember when I first hit the stage how I was always look down on being a newbie. Fortanately for me that is no longer the case and hasn't been after people started to see what Professional, Personal, and Quality web hosting really meant.

Does anyone disagree with myself and webfreak08? And, what hosts have you seen lately that you believe to be "kiddie" host?

That gave me a good chuckle.

I think that a kiddie host is more of a metaphor in relation to age/intellectual maturity a certain hosting company possess. If the person behind the company wheel is mature and professional enough in all senses of running a business, I do not see how the host can be called "kiddie".

Artashes,

I agree with you on the maturity issue. However, I have called business before who had their parents answer the phone. We were no longer with that company after that but that is besides the point.

The best one I have ever had personally was one of my clients called my cell because our toll free number forwards to it if I am not at the office. Well I was with the girlfriend and I was busy dealing with something and she answered the phone.

I guess it is a good thing that the customer who was on the other end has turned into a good friend and he thought the girlfriends voice was hot. He told me she needs to answer the phone more often. I agreed!

Other then maturity do you think that there is something that sperates children of "kiddie" host to children of professional hosts?

You are not a kiddie host anymore when you no long give a damn if someone thinks you are one or not and you just provide the best service you can.
The only people you need to impress with your credentials are your clients.

Blue,

You do not give a damn anymore, do you?

There are two things in this business I give a damn about.

1. The quality of our service.
2. The satisfaction of our clients.

I care very little about how other hosts perceive me. If I did I would not be as outspoken as I am on forums.

I have developed very strong relationships with some others in this industry but not because I pretended to be something I'm not. It was because I walk the walk.

This has nothing to do with age. It has to do with state of mind.

Blue,

I do not know if its just that I found my niche. Or, if I just started to talking to customers who have the same perception I do. But, I am starting to see more clients lean to Quality hosting and not Quantity. Which usually as a host I am willing to provide perks to customers who are looking for quality. Its a working relationship that you cannot find anywhere else.

I guess when you find something like this you can say you've made it in the hosting industry.

Well put Blue. Without the first, there really is no second part. I learnt a long time ago to be up front and straight forward in all aspects of business. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Well, in my opinion, your no longer a kiddie hot when you can offer you clients reliable hosting at a good price, nothing to do with how much you earn or if you have an office

I had to post in this old thread because I thought it was amusing. You could ask that question "Am I STILL a Kiddie host" but what actually is a "Kiddie Hosts". I don't really believe in the term.

The phrase was invented by mid-size collocated companies and spineless members of the WebHostingTalk community (Oh I have a few names in mind :p None which I would state)

Some people will interpretive it by age, maturity or independence.

I agree with this last post. I started hosting when i was 15. I live in a country and community that fosters young people giving anything a go. To be honest if someone has the ability to do it - let them do it. Don't restrict them by their age.

Yes - Webhostingtalk members seem to get very uptight about the whole kiddie host thing.

It totally depends on your maturity not your age.

How one treats one's business, and one's clients - makes the difference between "weekend webhost" and a professional.

If one follows up on issues, looks out for one's clients, looks for ways to improve the services, constantly tries to balance making money with providing value for the dollars spent, - that's the mark of a professional.

Many people in the thread have said it already: lack of maturity makes a "kiddiehost". Someone deserving of that label treats their business as a game, and treats their clients as competitors for the money as much as, or more than, the reason for the existence of the business.

Unless I personally knew and trusted the minor person in question, I would not want to be the recurring-service customer of someone under the age of 18 - simply because when I was a teenager, I knew more under-18 age people who just wanted to play around and enjoy themselves, go out on dates, and so forth rather than do something requiring as much commitment as a hosting business. If someone else I knew and trusted vouched for the underage host in question, or if the host in question continuously and unwaveringly presented themselves as a responsible professional, that might influence my decision.