Ok, we get a LOT of people asking us to give them WildFire DSI for WAY less than we can afford to sell it for. Basically, this software was never intended for startups - you don't NEED it if you have no revenue coming in. If you have no revenue, you have no customers, and you don't need this until you have too many customers to handle manually.

That said, we have a lot of compassion for shoestring startups. That's how we got our start. And that is what caused us to develop WildFire DSI, when we finally got so busy we could not handle it all manually and still continue to increase our profits. 

So we are going to let you in on some trade secrets, and tell you how we did it. You can do the same thing, but you can purchase WildFire when you get to the point of needing it, without having to shell out the thousands of dollars we did to develop it.

Just follow this plan below, and you'll be ready to purchase WildFire DSI in no time.

1. Set up some Master Sites - these will be sites you will use as templates, and you will configure them in the ways your clients most often need them configured. Think them out smart - a couple of wise bundled options - install logical groups of plugins or extensions into them. Do the routine configuration on them that you would do on EVERY site. Load an assortment of templates if you like. Set up products for each package in WHMCS, so you have a product to go with each bundle.

SECURITY NOTE: We recommend setting up the Master Sites in a subdomain hosting account, because it is unregistered. Regular domains are registered with the WHOIS, and can be found easily. You want this site to be very secure, so create a new hosting account with a subdomain as the domain name (as long as the main domain is pointed to the same server that the subdomain hosting account is created on, it will work). Do not let anyone access this site, do NOT use it as a Demo!

2. Create a backup of the Master Site files - ONLY the files in the public_html directory, NOT an entire hosting account backup. Create a backup of the database as well.

3. When someone purchases a site, use that set of files and database to manually install - you'll save yourself a TON of time, because all of your basic configuration will be done, and you'll have templates pre-installed, and your base plugins will be in already. Takes about 10 minutes to upload and decompress the files in Cpanel, to create the database and import the tables. Last, put the database and file path info into the config file for the site. Boom, half your work is done.

Any time you need to update your script, do so in the Master Site and copy the files and database out again. Any time you notice a configuration setting that EVERYONE needs, do that in the Master Site too, and your Master Site will gradually get better and better.

Building your systems in this order lays the groundwork for automation, saves you time until you can afford WildFire, and makes you ready to implement WildFire in just a few minutes when you can afford it. It also allows you time to work out the bugs in your Master Sites, and to develop packages that people really WANT.

4. If you are using Joomla or WordPress, invest in Artisteer. You'll never regret it. You can make your own branded templates and load THOSE into the installs, and you can make templates REALLY fast. Otherwise, find some good stock templates, and learn to edit them fast. Either way, you can work your branding into your sites, so your clients are using sites that say they were created by YOU.

5. When you get enough clients that doing the cloned installs gets to be a pain, then invest in Lighter. Lighter will USE that Master Site you already created - so you'll make a couple of simple changes to the Master Site files, set up the WildFire configuration files, and you'll be auto-installing in just a few minutes.

6. When you grow even more, so that personalization of the sites and more automation can pay for itself, purchase the Upgrade file for the Full version. Drop in the Upgrade file, and you're ready to implement your next round of automation. At that point, you'll do some more work on your Master Site, and start adding in personalization features to the configuration files.

If you follow this plan, then your business will grow seamlessly, and each thing you invest in will quickly pay for itself, and even better, you'll have the money for it and know it is the best investment at the time.

You can start working with faster installs right away, you just have to manually install your cloned Master Site. WildFire will be there when you are ready for it.

Bootstrap your way up. You won't regret it.

Comment

Thank you so much for "Wildfire on a Shoestring" absolutely invaluable! Answered a whole bunch of questions and made so much business sense. I can't wait until I can justify Wildfire DSI and soon as I can my payment will be winging it's way to you.

Very refreshing approach folks, all power to you and thanks again.

Steve Crooks
1st Team Hosting