Start a reseller web hosting business for local businesses

Local small businesses, community groups, freelancers and web designers who want one friendly contact instead of a big call centre.

Monthly or yearly hosting plans, domain registration and renewals, email add-ons and one-off site migration fees. Income grows as you add more customers on the same plan.

• Comfortable with cPanel or similar control panels
• Clear, patient customer support
• Basic website, DNS and email knowledge

• Your own customers expect uptime, so check your provider's reliability and backup arrangements
• Privacy rules such as PIPEDA, and Quebec's privacy law if you serve Quebec customers, may apply to customer data
• Check that .ca domains are sold through a registrar accredited by CIRA
• Check whether you need a home-based business licence from your municipality
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold
• Check rules on marketing emails under Canada's anti-spam law (CASL)
• Consider professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, as outages or data loss can lead to disputes

Estimated startup costs are typically around $300 to $1,500, depending on the reseller plan you choose, your branding and any billing tools. Consider professional liability insurance too, as outages or data loss can lead to disputes.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around $400 to $2,000, depending on how many customers you sign up and what plans you sell. Hours start at around 5 per week, so it can begin as a small side project.

Check privacy rules such as PIPEDA, and Quebec's privacy law if you serve Quebec customers. Check that .ca domains go through a CIRA-accredited registrar, CASL rules for marketing emails, any home-based business licence, and GST/HST registration.