I have had the opportunity to work with startups and small businesses to develop the web applications that are the heart of their business. It’s fascinating to see entrepreneurs embrace their passion and forge their own path to a successful business. However, blazing a new path is not without its dangers. Some of the initial difficulties for Internet-based start-ups when it comes to technology that I have learned from entrepreneurs include:

• Waiting too long to build the app while they are looking for a technical co-founder

• Determine which programming language and technology stack to use

• Difficulty working with independent resources or abroad, which generates cost overruns and frustration.

• What to do with the application once the encoding is done. Where to host it and how to secure the data.

As common as they may be, an entrepreneur must envision a path that learns from others and secures the most convenient path to success. I’ll just lightly touch on the first three topics, then dig a little deeper into the final topic of where to host your web app.

If you don’t have a technical co-founder, but you do have a good idea, my advice is to stop looking. Technical co-founders are in demand. If they know what they’re doing, they usually have options. When the next big thing comes along that grabs your attention, it can be hard for a new startup to hold on to an in-demand resource anyway. My advice is to get some traction and let the technical co-founders come to you. And they will. People want to be part of something good. Your time is better spent researching your idea, finding potential early adopters, and outsourcing the skills needed to test your idea. And to be clear, you and I both know that you don’t have a single idea. Your job is to pick one and see if it’s actually marketable. A good idea does not always make a good business. That’s what you have to find out, and fast. Ideas are cheap, so get out there and show that you have more than just a good idea. And if you don’t, move on to your next good idea. People like you create jobs and opportunities. Sitting on a bad idea will only hinder your progress.

Now that you’re ready to move on, what technology do you use? To use a coined phrase, “Don’t worry about the small stuff.” Too many entrepreneurs spend precious months trying to figure this out. A better strategy is to find a company you feel comfortable working with to develop your code. I don’t care if it’s Java, Ruby on Rails, PHP, etc. Find the best route for you financially and can be done in the shortest amount of time to market. Once you start generating some income, you’ll want to reinvest it into future iterations anyway. You can start with some feature improvements in the next few later phases, but plan to fully rebuild after a year if you’re gaining traction. And who knows, your new technical co-founder may want to control this decision anyway. Do not limit yourself by an artificial requirement of a certain technological path.

So what about offshore resources?

Freelance and overseas resources are fantastic when you are able to properly manage results. Many entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed because they don’t understand technology and are unable to recognize when things are going in the wrong direction. It’s hard to recognize a bad situation when you lack experience. The best thing to do is find a US-based organization that can help you. They are out there. If you put in the effort to research your idea, find early adopters, and incorporate feedback, you should be able to find a way to build the idea. Most of the business people I have spoken with who have used offshore resources have expressed frustration if they lack the technical training to manage it. Partnering with a small IT services company can alleviate that frustration and help you achieve your goals.

The most overlooked component in developing an Internet based business is what to do with the application once the coding is done. This is a critical error and should be part of your initial planning.

Let me first clarify one area of ​​distinction. I mean a web application in this article versus a website. A website is a collection of what amounts to mainly static informational pages hosted on a server on the public Internet. For such services, I find shared hosting sites to be a cheap alternative. However, this is not suitable for a web application that uses programming logic to perform tasks and functions to provide a service of benefit to the end user. For this, an entrepreneur is best served by working with a hosted solution. This can be a cloud-based virtual server instance to keep costs down.

But here’s the problem. Many entrepreneurs are guilty of putting their newly written code into a free instance of a service like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and expecting everything to run smoothly from then on. We recommend a Linux server with a reasonable level of security, including a firewall that restricts access to your data. In some cases, a two-tier architecture that separates the web-based front-end from the database back-end can be warranted. However, in most cases, for an early-stage implementation, a security-aware server implementation is acceptable.

Let’s say you manage to do all this. Secure a VPS server running Linux. Deploy your code. You are online. Now what? Who is doing the care and feeding of this server? It is important to ensure that you have a plan for the system administration functions of the server. I am in favor of having one person responsible for log reviews and backups, even for the proper functioning of the system. As your IT consumption, such as CPU, memory, and storage utilization, grows in tandem with customer acquisition, you need to strategically plan for resource expansion. As every entrepreneur knows, a death blow for an emerging startup is running out of money. But as every technical professional knows, it can be just as fatal to have a security breach or user experience that renders your service unusable. Clients have short-term memories. A mistake in the field of trust will cause them to take their business elsewhere. And no one wants to develop a bad reputation or be sued for more serious negligence.

Yes, finding a technical co-founder can greatly reduce your costs when setting up your internet based business. If you’re lucky enough to succeed on that route, more power to you. If not, there are ways to reduce your exposure and bring your idea to market. Be tenacious, persistent and responsible with your Information Technology service needs. Don’t follow the rumor that an Internet based business can only be built one way using a prescribed methodology. Partner with another small business that offers IT services to establish a win-win situation as you turn your ideas into reality.