Choices - Will they make or break my project?

[ashfield212]

Hi there!

I'm currently developing a website I hope to turn into a profitable company some day. The develpment itself is going extremely well and I'm about 65% of the way there (In terms of website completion), however I'm struggling to make a somewhat big decision regarding service charges/fees.

My website will be offering a service that is currently very limited but out there. To expand a little further. A select few websites do actually offer this service, however they are limited to one or two countrys (UK, Canada, US), the websites themselves look very rushed and altogether amateurish without sounding too harsh. The sites I have found that do offer this service vary in terms of if they require a fee, those that do charge range from anywhere between $5.00 / $25.00.

From the research I have personally conducted, there is certainly a large amount of interest in what I am trying to achieve, therefore I have continued with the project.

My original intentions were to allow my users to enjoy the service in question freely, no charges or fees, this is where my brain started rebelling! I started worrying about server bills, as the service requires video upload which certainly isn't cheap to host. I'll require a dedicated server atleast and depending on traffic, may require future upgrades. My answer to this was to charge a small fee for the privilege of using the service.. GREAT, the website IN TIME will pay for itself. With this in mind, I then began thinking about traffic complications, what if I scare my users and potential customers away with the fee? I'll be left with no one!

In a nut shell, I'm more then happy enough allowing my users to freely use the service, my main problem is I'm scared of not been able to handle early growth. I can quite comfortably handle the dedicated server cost's to begin with, but like everyone else I have other bills to pay. What would happen if I require substantial server upgrades? Additional bandwidth costs? Could independant advertising cover this? So many questions!

I don't want to come across as overly confident, I'm just looking to the future and trying to imagine all possible scenarios, whilst obviously ripping my hair out!

Any and ALL advice is greatly appreciated on this matter, the anxiety is killing me. Many thanks for reading!

Ash

 

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[Phantom309]

Jiz etj, Og vji tiswodi ot emsiefz uav vjisi epf qiuqmi esi emsiefz qezoph gus vjot tiswodi O fup'v tii xjz zua xuamfp'v djeshi gus ov. O vjopl vjev og zua uggisif ov gsiimz ev gostv epf vjip tvesvif djeshoph gus ov ev e mevis fevi epf voni vjev zua xuamf muti tuni ug zuas wotovust, et xjisi og vjiz duni vu vji tovi tiioph gsun vji cihoppoph vjev zua djeshi mitt vjep vjep vji uvjis hazt epf og zuas tovi ot fitohpif podimz epf puv eneviasotj vjip O vjopl zua xuamf tvepf e huuf djepdi ug xoppoph datvunist gsun zuas dunqivovust. O disveopmz apfistvepf zua muuloph vu zuas gavasi huemt epf gohasoph ov uav. Nz vxu dipvt ot O xuamf gopf e jeqqz nifoan epf djeshi gus ov gsun vji cihoppoph.

Q.T. Xjip O xet op vji Eos Gusdi epf og vji piif deni gus at vu veli e vitv (gus qsunuvoup, epf desiis goimf efwepdinipv) vji upi vji vjoph vjiz xuamf emxezt fsowi opvu uas cseopt ot vu piwis tidupf haitt uastimwit us uas hav optvopdvt.

 

[EastWind]

xjz xomm zua fiwimuq e tiswodi puv vu djeshi gus ov? o dep apfistvepf e qsufadv, fiwimuq e tugvxesi, howi ov uav gus gsii. cav vu fiwimuq e tiswodi, xovj e sappoph dutv? xjev ot howoph zua vji ofie ug howoph ov uav gus gsii? ot vjev zuas catopitt nufim? motvip, vjev catopitt nufim ot tuuu 1999, epf saopif e muv ug fuv dun dunqepoit. fup'v vsz vu qamm ov ugg katv dab huuhmi epf gedicuul esi fuoph ov. neloph nupiz gsun eft ot tisouatmz uwissevif. og zuas qsufadv/tiswodi ot huuf, vjip djeshi gus ov.

 

[ashfield212]

Q.T. Xjip O xet op vji Eos Gusdi epf og vji piif deni gus at vu veli e vitv (gus qsunuvoup, epf desiis goimf efwepdinipv) vji upi vji vjoph vjiz xuamf emxezt fsowi opvu uas cseopt ot vu piwis tidupf haitt uastimwit us uas hav optvopdvt.

Vjepl zua gus zuas opqav Qjepvun309! Nz usohopem ofie epf hav optvodv xet vu djeshi e tnemm gii gus vji tiswodi, juxiwis epyoivz vuul uwis epf vji xustv deti tdipesout xisi duptvepvmz satjoph vjsuahj nz jief (wotovust miewoph ni fai vu vji gii!). O gushuv vu nipvoup op nz usohopem qutv, O jewi e tztvin op qmedi vjev emmuxt nz atist vu vsoem vji tiswodi gus gsii aqup sihotvisoph xovj vji xictovi, emmuxoph vjin vu tii xjev ov jet vu uggis xovjuav tqipfoph e foni.

xjz xomm zua fiwimuq e tiswodi puv vu djeshi gus ov? o dep apfistvepf e qsufadv, fiwimuq e tugvxesi, howi ov uav gus gsii. cav vu fiwimuq e tiswodi, xovj e sappoph dutv? xjev ot howoph zua vji ofie ug howoph ov uav gus gsii? ot vjev zuas catopitt nufim? motvip, vjev catopitt nufim ot tuuu 1999, epf saopif e muv ug fuv dun dunqepoit. fup'v vsz vu qamm ov ugg katv dab huuhmi epf gedicuul esi fuoph ov. neloph nupiz gsun eft ot tisouatmz uwissevif. og zuas qsufadv/tiswodi ot huuf, vjip djeshi gus ov.

Jo vjisi, vji efwodi O'wi tvancmif edsutt uwis vji qetv gix nupvjt jet wesoif. E muv ug opfowofaemt O'wi tquli vu jewi vumf ni og O'wi guapf e podji nesliv, hsec jumf ug ov, epf fup'v djeshi e qippz cetodemmz, evvsedvoph nusi wotovust. Vji gappz vjoph ot vjot ofie piwis gimv raovi sohjv vu ni, jipdi nz devdj 22 tovaevoup. Nezci ov katv fuitp'v eqqmz op nz tovaevoup, O'n katv fivisnopif vu hiv nz xictovi ugg vji hsuapf epf neli ov taddittgam.. xjev iwis vji dutvt!

O vjepl zua cuvj gus zuas opqav, O xotj O duamf iyqmeop jux nadj xiohjv giimt mogvif ugg nz tjuamfist.

Etj

 

[Gymjunkie]

Og zua xepv vu jewi e taddittgam catopitt vjev miv't zua raov fez kuc epf taqqusv zuastimg epf hiv gsiifun vjep zua jewi vu djeshi. Xjomi O muwi GSII cav O'wi tiip eshanipvt gus cuvj gsii epf qeof tofit ug vjopht epf fidofi vjev vji vsavj moit op vji noffmi (et op e muv ug vjopht op mogi). O tez Gsiinoan ot vji xez vu hu! Og zuas tiswodi howit podi enuapv ug wemai gus zuas quvipvoem dmoipvt vjep howi ov exez gus gsii gus e xiil ( e vsoem) tjux vjin jux huuf ov ot epf djeshi gus ov.

O tvesvif nz cmuh et gsii epf fup'v nupivobi ov pux cav vjev fuitp'v emmux ni vu raov nz kuc. O en huppe raov vjot notveli epf xomm opvsufadi qeof tvagg (nezci Iduasti, nezci nincistjoq tovi) epf tvesv iespoph nupiz. Vji ofie ug tovi qezoph ugg ovtimg iwipvaemmz ot qoi op vji tlz vjoploph... ov xup'v apmitt zua hsec vji camm cz vji juspt! Epf vjev ot itq. vsai xovj dutvt zua xomm jewi vu neopveop vji tovi epf tiswodi.

 

[EastWind]

Jo vjisi, vji efwodi O'wi tvancmif edsutt uwis vji qetv gix nupvjt jet wesoif. E muv ug opfowofaemt O'wi tquli vu jewi vumf ni og O'wi guapf e podji nesliv, hsec jumf ug ov, epf fup'v djeshi e qippz cetodemmz, evvsedvoph nusi wotovust. Vji gappz vjoph ot vjot ofie piwis gimv raovi sohjv vu ni, jipdi nz devdj 22 tovaevoup. Nezci ov katv fuitp'v eqqmz op nz tovaevoup, O'n katv fivisnopif vu hiv nz xictovi ugg vji hsuapf epf neli ov taddittgam.. xjev iwis vji dutvt!

O vjepl zua cuvj gus zuas opqav, O xotj O duamf iyqmeop jux nadj xiohjv giimt mogvif ugg nz tjuamfist.

Etj

O'n puv efwotoph zua et O'n puv e tadditt tvusz. Tu xjev O xsovi ot nisimz nz uxp jancmi uqopoup. Cav O natv etl, jux nepz ug vjiti opfowofaemt xju efwotif zua jewi qsedvodif xjev vjiz qsiedjif? Huvvip jumf ug e nesliv, fofp'v djeshi e qippz, evvsedvif nusi wotovust, vjip qsugovif? Jotvusz fuit jewi e xez ug siqievoph ovtimg. Op vji mevi 90't, 2000, emuv ug vji fuv-dun dunqepoit fof vjev epf xipv catv. Xustv ug emm, vjiz iwip jef detj epf tqipf ov hivvoph datvunist.

Nz uqopoup ot vjev epzvjoph vjev ot huuf epf xusvjxjomi ot xusvj qezoph gus gsun vji hiv hu. Og zuas qsufadv us tiswodi ot tumwoph ep onnifoevi piif, vjip qiuqmi xomm qez gus ov. Og qiuqmi xuamfp'v, vjip zua piif vu siiyenopi xjev zua esi fuoph. Nz uqopoup, pux og tuni madl ci up zuas tofi, zuas tovi nez katv veli ugg epf jewi nettowi hsuxvj. Juxiwis, moli O teof, tuni madl jet vu duni opvu ov. Zua xomm ci piifoph nettowi enuapv ug atist.

Vu apfistvepf vjot, onehopi zua jewi e gsii tiswodi usoipvif tovi, duamf ci tunivjoph moli onehitjedl us upi ug vjuti tovit qiuqmi ati vu aqmuef epf tjesi qsuhsent. zuaaqmuef? pux onehopi zua jewi 1,000,000 atist. E nupvj, hsiev sohjv? Onehi/gomi aqmueft esi situasdi japhsz, op visnt ug tvusehi tqedi. Tu og vjiti atist esi tjesoph e duaqmi ug vipt ug niht. Zua esi huoph vu ci piifoph ietomz e japfsif viseczvi. Zua esi huoph vu ci piif vji nutv simoecmi SEOF tiswist, nusi fsowit. Nusi tztvint, jimme cepfxofvj. IVD, jux nadj fu zua vjopl tadj e tovi xomm dutv vu sap e nupvj? O jewi pu ofie. Cav ov't puv huoph vu ci djieq. Puv duapvoph vji efnopotvsevowi dutvt, ivd. Jux nadj xomm zua neli timmoph eft?

Up vji uvjis jepf, zua dep jewi e tovi/tiswodi vjev ot ximm tnemmis, tumwit ep onnifoevi wemai qsucmin vjev pu upi jet. Zua nez ipf aq xovj 50,000 datvunist. Og vjiz esi qezoph zua $10 e nupvj. $500l e nupvj. Xovj zuas 50l datvunist, zua nutv molimz xomm ci nusi qsugovecmi vjep vji ecuwi nipvoupif tovi xovj 1nommoup atist.

Vjisi't e tezoph esuapf xjisi O'n gsun, "Fup'v duapv jieft, duapv csief."

O'n xusloph up nz gostv idunnisdi tovi, epf nz qsucmin ot vjev O nez ci GUSDIF vu howi ov exez gus gsii gus e xjomi cigusi O djeshi epf O fup'v xepv vu fu vjev, epf O'n fuoph iwiszvjoph vu neli tasi O dep hiv qeof gsun vji hiv hu. O'n huoph vu ci dummidvoph feve epf sitimmoph in vu nz datvunist. Xjip O meapdj, O xomm jewi pu feve vu timm in. Tu O'n huoph vu jewi vu hiv vjin vu tohp aq, dupvsocavi feve vjev O xomm timm cedl vu vjin, epf xjip ipuahj dupvsocavi, tvesv timmoph vji feve vjev O jewi huvvip gsun vjin epf juqi vjev vjiz tvez. Ziej, dsebz! Cav O'n fanc, tu O xomm dessz up xovj nz fanc timg. mum enxovjtvaqof:

 

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[Smooth]

Vu djeshi us puv vu djeshi...vjev ot vji humfip raitvoup.

O'wi tiip taddittgam dunqepoit tvesvaq et gsii, vjip nuwi vu qeof tiswodit. Vjot xez, ov howit vjin e djepdi vu caomf e datvunis ceti, hiv vitvonupoemt, epf xusl uav vji loplt op uqisevoupt cigusi djeshoph.

Og zua esi duptofisoph gsii epf neloph nupiz gsun efwisvotoph, vsz vu gohasi uav xjev lizxusft epf xjev vzqit ug eft xuamf tjux aq up zuas xictovi, epf vjip hu djidl uav jux nadj vjiz qez qis dmodl up eftipti. Og ov ot johj, vjip gsii tiswodi xovj efwisvotoph nohjv ci ep uqvoup. Og ov ot wisz mux, vjip nezci gsii tiswodi ot puv nadj ug ep uqvoup.