Student Bytes Into Lucrative Web Host Biz

Notes from Chris

Episode 1078

While getting his degree in systems analysis at Illinois State University, Corey Northcutt found a way to combine his talents with his interests. The idea began organically ... he liked building websites and he had a friend who used the Linux operating system. Without much thought, they decided that they could combine the two.

Let’s talk very briefly about web hosting. To publicly share a website (make it to where someone else can visit), you need a web host, where your web pages and other content can live. Corey realized that people were paying faceless corporations to host their hopes and dreams, which was a bit scary. In response, he and his friend decided to offer them a better experience.

The pair decided on the name Ubiquity. It seemed fitting—by creating things to put on the internet, where they would be available anywhere and everywhere. Setting up the actual hosting part was easy, as it had a low startup cost and required few resources beyond their own experience in programming. All they needed was $60 per month for a virtual private server and PayPal fees.

What happened next is what Corey calls “a series of fortunate accidents.” With no business plan, Corey decided he would try using Ubiquity to make some extra cash as a student. He spent time on forums, absorbing knowledge from others who were offering web hosting. Though he had learned some concepts from his IT degree, he had to apply them in a way that was more useful through a process of hands-on learning.

After a few more coffee shop clients, as well as a number of bands he and his friend signed up since they were both musicians, they found themselves attracting people through web searches. Since Ubiquity had no budget for advertising, they worked especially hard on their SEO.

Eventually, they moved on to higher-paying clients, discovering that charging $500 per month for the rental of an entire server was the most profitable and successful plan. As a result, they raised their rates, focusing on delivering a premium product that helped them stand out.

Five years in, Corey sold Ubiquity to his partners. After cashing out, he told himself he’d just sit on a beach and build his own sites. That didn’t last long—two weeks to be exact—as he was approached to do consulting for someone he considered a mentor in his previous business. Within a year, he had created an entirely new company, Northcutt, that focuses on SEO for e-commerce brands.

He is able to look back on this first side hustle as how he got his start. He bootstrapped that business from the ground up, his dorm room, and that local coffee shop.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Corey has since sold his web hosting business (Ubiquity) and now focuses on SEO for e-commerce brands. Learn more about his new venture at Northcutt.com.

 

SEE ALSO:

• College Student Hacks Into $40,000/Month Side Hustle: When he found himself in need of making car repairs, this student bought a $25 microphone and recorded a course in “ethical hacking.” The course has now served more than 80,000 paid customers.
• Designer Makes $1M Giving It The Old College Try: Missing the south after migrating north to Boston, a designer creates a series of sports-themed pennants and t-shirts that put hometown pride on display. Since starting up, he’s had more than $1M in sales and earned a profit of $5,000 each month.
• College Student Manages Large Ad Campaigns for Businesses: A teenager learns online marketing techniques by watching YouTube, then goes on to manage ad campaigns of up to $50,000/month.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,