13 years ago when alex decided to start his first company i was still super excited using my first computer, typing away on microsoft word(Microsoft word 95 i remember..Oohh them days i cherish), challenging my friends on how i fast i could type without looking at the keyboard, Anyways this shows how long alex has been involved in the internet start-up.

I decided to go down memory lane with alex and ask him:

how he started t35 hosting
How he’s been able to keep up with the new technology and change
What he has learnt in his 13 years in this industry

And many more juice…

Enjoy the interview and dont forget to leave a comment.

Hi Alex, Welcome to YHP, Tell us about your company? What position do you execute in the business?

I am the president and founder of T35 Hosting. Our company provides free and paid hosting services to almost a million members world wide. Our services range from ad-based free hosting, to feature-packed cPanel paid hosting.

Can you give us some background information about yourself?

I have been involved with internet start-up’s since the mid 1990′s and currently have almost a dozen different ones I am working on. T35 Hosting was actually one of the first “projects”, and it is still around and successful to this day.

Alex you’ve definitely been around for a while, what do you think you’ve done to keep up to pace with the new technologies and innovation from 1997 when you launched your first website?

It has definitely been a very busy time over the last 13 years. Technology and user demands change in an almost real-time environment and it has been a real challenge to keep up. A true testament to this is that out of the dozen or so free web hosts that were around when we started, almost none are left today (especially with Geocities closing it’s doors this year). To keep up we have always promoted a policy of close communication with our customers and we try to grow and adjust with their changing needs.

How long would you say you work on average?

Most of T35 Hosting is automated these days, so I only spend about 2-3 hours a day managing it. I also spend another 4-5 hours/day on the other projects I am working on.

What is the most challenging aspect of what you do?

The most challenging part of my job is trying to decide where to take the company to keep up with customer trends and demands. It’s my job to find out which features are important and which are just fads that will come and go.

In your industry, what is the hierarchy like?

Web hosting like most web-based industries are very flexible and differ company from company. There isn’t any standard hierarchy that is set in stone.

I mean you have over a decade in the internet world, what would you say has been the most crucial thing you’ve learnt?

The most important lesson I have learned is that you have to stay on your feet. The internet world moves at the speed of light and if you aren’t keeping up with trends and new developments, you will not succeed.

Do you think there is a difference between your generation and the upcoming generations of
Entrepreneurs?

I think the younger generations are more entrepreneurial then ever before. Kids of all ages are becoming aware of all the opportunities that are out there (especially with the web facilitating many of those). More and more young people are exploring the internet, making websites and making money online. All of them are entrepreneurs and represent a colossal change over how the previous generations thought and acted.

Do you think that a work-life balance – having a successful career and having a successful family life – is realistic?

Yes, having a work-life balance is more attainable today then ever before. With running your own business, you usually have huge flexibility and the ability to make your own hours. But even in corporate culture, telecommuting and working at home a day a week is starting to take hold which creates a huge boost in work-life balance.

Do you think it is possible to be able to devote time to friends and family while trying to be a successful entrepreneur?

Yes, being a successful entrepreneur doesn’t mean dropping everything else in your life. Like any other profession (and perhaps even more so), you can always create a good balance.

What are you looking forward to as the new buzz on the web?

The new buzz online is how we connect and share information with each other. The web is becoming more and more of a tool for sharing ideas, reviews, and everything else. Even major brands are starting to take notice and beginning to monitor and even control their online presence and what people are saying about them online.

Do you have any plans to expand your business in the near future?

Yes, while the US markets are somewhat competitive (especially with hosting now competing with profile sites like facebook and myspace), there is still a lot of opportunities overseas. We plan to continue our expansion into several overseas market including Asia and South America.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on several different start-ups including an image sharing site, free hosting directory and much more.

What’s been the most crucial thing you’ve done to grow your business?

Making our customers happy is what ultimately drives our business. Over half of our customers were referred by other customers.

What motivates you, especially during down-times?

I’m motivated by the fact that our business provides a free service and a free way for people to get their website and ideas online. Almost a million customers and organizations rely on this service and it’s something that always motivates me. We always strive to meet their expectations and help them succeed.

What do you do to relax?

My personal hobby is to travel and to go and explore new places where I haven’t been before. This helps me relax and find new perspective.

What should we be expecting from you in the future?

There are several new start-ups in the work, some that I have mentioned here and some that I am not at liberty to discuss. Watch for the new developments in 2010 though

Do you have any tips for young entrepreneurs out there?

Yes, my greatest advice is to go out there and try and try again and keep trying. Never give up on your ideas or your dreams. The key to entrepreneurship is perseverance.

Good luck Alex and thank you for your time.

T35 Hosting
Alex Melen on Twitter
Check out his LinkedIn Page
His personal Blog

Jon West has shown everyone the perfect example of starting small, he started his company 3tailer with his buddy Chad Ledford with only $500 each and now they both run the multi-million dollar company.

Jon west shares in this interview:

His experience starting 3tailer

How he coped with college work and running 3tailer

His average workday

Enjoy the interview and don’t forget to leave comments

Jon, can you briefly give us some background information about yourself and what you do?

I’m a 25 year-old Co-Founder and CEO of a niche eCommerce company named 3tailer, based out of Charlotte, NC. My buddy Chad Ledford and I started the company during senior year of college at Appalachian State University. My focus in college was Information Systems under the Walker College of Business.

Jon, it’s great to have you on YHP, how is business going so far?

Business is going well. We’ve had a crazy year of growth and all the pains that come with growing. We’re in the process of building a strong foundation so next year we can really blow up.

You said you started your company while at college, how did you cope with studying and setting up a business, i know a lot of students lose focus and drop for the other?

It started during Senior year so my more intense college days were winding down. I was fortunate to have a good amount of free time and on top of that one of our college professors let us build our company during one of his entrepreneurship classes. Students should try to work out a similar deal with a college professor if possible. There should be enough time in the day to attend class, study, and make headway on your business. You’re young, sleep less.

Tell us the story on how 3tailer has become this big and successful, how did it all start?

Chad’s grandfather had been selling socks for over 10 years so Chad decided to see how they’d sell online. Meanwhile I entered ASU’s Pitch Your Idea entrepreneurship contest and went on to win Most Likely to Succeed Online. After the win we decided to form a company to pursue my eCommerce idea and put his existing sock website under the new company. Thus 3tailer was born and the peasants rejoiced!

Is this your first business?

It’s my first established LLC. Growing up as a kid I would build websites for companies but never anything organized.

How did you finance your business?

Chad and I put in $500 each, so $1,000 was our starting capital. We sold our first eCommerce website a little over a year after creating it which gave us enough cash to pursue the company full-time.

What are the revenues of the business?

I don’t like to give specifics but we’re in the millions per year.

How many employees do you have? Full- or part-time?

We have 10-15 employees right now. Most are part-time Customer Service Reps. We also have Data Entry, Copywriting, and Web Developer positions.

What is an average workday like for you?

I really need to move my schedule forward a couple hours but here goes… Wake up around 9ish, check email/Twitter while I’m eating breakfast. Take a shower then get in the office around 10ish. I catch up on all my RSS feeds/news and figure out my to-dos for the day. After lunch I’m my most productive and that lasts until about 6 or so. Most days I’ll grab dinner and then hang out at the office doing some work or playing video games/ping-pong until 10ish.

How has your market changed in the past few years? How has your business changed to keep pace?

eCommerce as a whole is constantly evolving but the larger eCommerce players with huge be-everything-to-everyone sites have to innovate the quickest. Niche eCommerce shops have to evolve but not quite at those break-neck speeds. Our size does allow us to be nimble within our space and we try to be on the forefront as much as possible.

How have sales grown in the last few years?

Year over year sales have grown anywhere from 200% to 600%.

What are the most crucial things you have done to grow your business?

We’ve built systems that scale and automated repetitive processes. Bootstrapping from our initial $1,000 investment has taught us to be extremely cost-conscious which has served us well over the years. Hiring the right people is extremely important.

What plans do you have now to expand your business further?

We plan to continue increasing our product offering and website catalog while improving our technology.

What systems have you used to automate your business to give you more time for business planning and development?

Google Apps gives us dependable email and allows us to collaborate on spreadsheets, documents, and presentations easily. Oh yeah, it’s free too. Setup buffers between you and minor issues so that you have employees handling more day-to-day items and you can focus on growing the business.

What has been your most effective marketing tactic or technique?

We’ve seen a lot of success from Search Marketing. Aside from that, Social Media marketing is big and only poised to grow.

What advices would you give to young entrepreneurs starting up their business?

Start as early as you can; before you have a mortgage, kids, and more responsibilities. Take calculated risks and don’t do anything too dumb.

Thanks Jon for taking the time to do this interview with us, we wish you the best in the future.

Check out their website: 3tailer

Connect with jon on twitter

His personal Blog

Jon west on LinkedIn