Business Contingency plan for your clients in case you die - GoFuckYourself.com

MrBottomTooth · 11-06-2014, 10:47 AM

Just got thinking the other day if i suddenly drop dead some of my customers are going to suddenly have a hard time.

I build and maintain websites for a lot of local small businesses and typically I look after their domain names, hosting, etc, all under my own accounts. I've had some customers who choose to look after their own domains and have had 2 of them lose them by simply forgetting to renew them. So most of the time i just handle the domain registration for them.

What's a good way to make it so clients arent going to be fucked over if my heart explodes tomorrow? (Make it easy for them to access their website files, databases, domain names) All the domains are under one namecheap account and the sites are all hosted on the same server at amerinoc.

Sly · 11-06-2014, 10:51 AM

I knew a guy that this happened to. Similar story. Had a bunch of local clients, mostly older folks that knew nothing about the Internet and ran small businesses. He passed away and all hell ensued. I tried helping these people out by getting them set up with new web hosting. It was a total disaster. In the end, 50% of them thought I was trying to scam them and the other 50% just disappeared.

It's a nice thought though, hopefully you get some good ideas in this thread.

fitzmulti · 11-06-2014, 10:53 AM

I have a plan in place, after I had a life changing incident three years ago.
Hadn't thought about it much prior to that.

MrBottomTooth · 11-06-2014, 10:55 AM

Ya im just trying to figure out how this would work and currently i think it would be a shitstorm.

420 · 11-06-2014, 10:58 AM

You need a protege to take over the business after your death.

MrBottomTooth · 11-06-2014, 11:00 AM

I guess just keeping a file somewhere that has all my logins and accounts would be a start. Would just have to make sure my kids know where to find it once people start calling. Won't do anyone good stuck in a filing cabinet or in some random folder on my computer.

CaptainHowdy · 11-06-2014, 11:03 AM

I plan to depart from life clientless ...

BlackCrayon · 11-06-2014, 11:10 AM

its more for valuable domains but there is http://domainguardians.com/#services

CurrentlySober · 11-06-2014, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 420

You need a protege to take over the business after your death.

Yes - You need a child to do things YOUR way... Perhaps one called 'Charlie Bucket'...

Quote:

MrBottomTooth: How did you like the websites, Charlie?

Charlie Bucket: I think their the most wonderful sites in the whole world!

MrBottomTooth: I'm very pleased to hear you say that, because I'm giving them to you.

Grandpa Joe: [sounding shocked] You're giving Charlie the...?

MrBottomTooth: I can't go on forever, and I don't really want to try. So who can I trust to run the websites when I leave and take care of the indian uploaders for me? Not a grown up. A grown up would want to do everything his own way, not mine. So that's why I decided a long time ago that I had to find a child. A very honest, loving child, to whom I could tell all my most precious website making secrets.

Charlie Bucket: So that's why you posted on GFY!

MrBottomTooth: That's right. So the websites are yours, Charlie. You can move in immediately.

Grandpa Joe: And me?

MrBottomTooth: Absolutely.

Charlie Bucket: But what happens to the rest...?

MrBottomTooth: The whole family. I want you to bring them all, and I shall teach them wordpress!

ALL: Cheer!!!!

[Willy Wonka and Charlie hug]

_Richard_ · 11-06-2014, 12:54 PM

business idea?

ErectMedia · 11-06-2014, 01:38 PM

You need (1) Family member you can trust. Handing them a list of usernames/passwords really doesn't help much if they don't know what to do.

In my case my brother is 15+ years younger than me and tech literate so he's been schooled should I drop what to do with my 700+ aged domains for sale and another 70ish domains that are developed etc...

PAR · 11-06-2014, 02:57 PM

Clients should also have a backup plan should you drop off the face of the earth...

clickity click · 11-06-2014, 03:33 PM

I have been thinking a lot about this over the last year.
I recently turned 40 and I am well aware anything could happen anyday.

I am he main breadwinner in our household, I also deal with everything money related including mortgages, insurances and bills.

I of course have a full and complete list of usernames and passwords which I of course keep encrypted.
I have multiple life insurance policies, bitcoin, savings all over the place..

My wife is not really computer literate and there is no one else I could trust so I have the mammoth task of writing every single little thing down in the hope she will find someone to make sense of it.

Good thread btw.

EddyTheDog · 11-06-2014, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Richard_

business idea?

I thought about it a long time ago - Some sort of insurance - It would be great for a host for instance - If we go tits up then your sites will stay up for x amount of time because we are covered...

mineistaken · 11-06-2014, 03:56 PM

First - send back up files for your clients to hold on just in case.
As for domains - have a list stored on your computer and tell your family/friends to act on it if you die.

Mutt · 11-06-2014, 04:11 PM

I'm not getting any younger, seeing friend and acquaintances not much older than me dying suddely so I did start thinking of this a couple of years ago so I wrote out an inventory of what I own online - domains, websites, content - with logins to domain registrars, email contact for people to talk to whom I trust. Included what I think they're worth and where/how to sell them, of course including a warning to be wary of people looking to get a quick bargain.

I need to revise it, the realistic values of what I own are way down from when I did this 2-3 years ago.

_Richard_ · 11-06-2014, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EddyTheDog

I thought about it a long time ago - Some sort of insurance - It would be great for a host for instance - If we go tits up then your sites will stay up for x amount of time because we are covered...

by this thread and general online development? seems like a great idea/time.. however people don't like thinking about dying.. so how do you market a service that is only beneficial after you die?

makko2 · 11-06-2014, 05:29 PM

Can server hosts be asked to enact a sort of 'emergency takeover' request so that if you croak suddenly they would know who it was pre-arranged with to takeover the site[s]? That person could be someone who was very trusted to takeover with knowledge on sites/ memberships etc.....

sandman! · 11-06-2014, 05:57 PM

if you set it up right im sure many hosts would be fine with that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by makko2

Can server hosts be asked to enact a sort of 'emergency takeover' request so that if you croak suddenly they would know who it was pre-arranged with to takeover the site[s]? That person could be someone who was very trusted to takeover with knowledge on sites/ memberships etc.....

NALEM · 11-06-2014, 11:43 PM

Here it is boys and girls .. Administering Digital Assets

18 pages of good reading.

Last two contain the necessary clauses.

11-06-2014, 10:47 AM	#1
MrBottomTooth Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 5,795	Contingency plan for your clients in case you die Just got thinking the other day if i suddenly drop dead some of my customers are going to suddenly have a hard time. I build and maintain websites for a lot of local small businesses and typically I look after their domain names, hosting, etc, all under my own accounts. I've had some customers who choose to look after their own domains and have had 2 of them lose them by simply forgetting to renew them. So most of the time i just handle the domain registration for them. What's a good way to make it so clients arent going to be fucked over if my heart explodes tomorrow? (Make it easy for them to access their website files, databases, domain names) All the domains are under one namecheap account and the sites are all hosted on the same server at amerinoc.

11-06-2014, 10:51 AM	#2
Sly Let's do some business! Industry Role: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 31,326	I knew a guy that this happened to. Similar story. Had a bunch of local clients, mostly older folks that knew nothing about the Internet and ran small businesses. He passed away and all hell ensued. I tried helping these people out by getting them set up with new web hosting. It was a total disaster. In the end, 50% of them thought I was trying to scam them and the other 50% just disappeared. It's a nice thought though, hopefully you get some good ideas in this thread. __________________ Vacares - Web Hosting, Domains, O365, Security & More - Paxum and BTC Accepted Windows VPS now available Great for TSS, Nifty Stats, remote work, virtual assistants, etc. Click here for more details.

11-06-2014, 10:53 AM	#3
fitzmulti I Like Depth Of Field! Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA: 36.12318 N, 115.090219 W Posts: 14,861	I have a plan in place, after I had a life changing incident three years ago. Hadn't thought about it much prior to that. __________________ www.SexyGirlsCash.com CONTACT // FITZMULTI AT GMAIL.COM // {Please include a message so I know you are from GFY! I get too many spam "add requests"!}

11-06-2014, 10:55 AM	#4
MrBottomTooth Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 5,795	Ya im just trying to figure out how this would work and currently i think it would be a shitstorm. __________________ Get Paid Per Email Like The WEGCASH Days!!!!

11-06-2014, 11:00 AM	#6
MrBottomTooth Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 5,795	I guess just keeping a file somewhere that has all my logins and accounts would be a start. Would just have to make sure my kids know where to find it once people start calling. Won't do anyone good stuck in a filing cabinet or in some random folder on my computer. __________________ Get Paid Per Email Like The WEGCASH Days!!!!

11-06-2014, 10:58 AM	#5
420 cuck Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 11,571	You need a protege to take over the business after your death.

11-06-2014, 11:03 AM	#7
CaptainHowdy Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Happy in the dark. Posts: 93,511	I plan to depart from life clientless ... __________________ Tjeezers.cam plus all sites $12.000,00. Transfer within 24 hours.

11-06-2014, 11:10 AM	#8
BlackCrayon Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ottawa Posts: 19,631	its more for valuable domains but there is http://domainguardians.com/#services __________________ you don't know you're wearing a leash if you sit by the peg all day..

11-06-2014, 12:54 PM	#10
_Richard_ Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Earth Posts: 30,989	business idea?

11-06-2014, 01:38 PM	#11
ErectMedia Confirmed Chicago Pimp Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 7,100	You need (1) Family member you can trust. Handing them a list of usernames/passwords really doesn't help much if they don't know what to do. In my case my brother is 15+ years younger than me and tech literate so he's been schooled should I drop what to do with my 700+ aged domains for sale and another 70ish domains that are developed etc... __________________ Domain Name Registration Web3 Domains

11-06-2014, 02:57 PM	#12
PAR Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,835	Clients should also have a backup plan should you drop off the face of the earth...

11-06-2014, 03:33 PM	#13
clickity click So Fecking Bummed Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 3,682	I have been thinking a lot about this over the last year. I recently turned 40 and I am well aware anything could happen anyday. I am he main breadwinner in our household, I also deal with everything money related including mortgages, insurances and bills. I of course have a full and complete list of usernames and passwords which I of course keep encrypted. I have multiple life insurance policies, bitcoin, savings all over the place.. My wife is not really computer literate and there is no one else I could trust so I have the mammoth task of writing every single little thing down in the hope she will find someone to make sense of it. Good thread btw.

11-06-2014, 03:56 PM	#15
mineistaken See signature :) Industry Role: Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: ICQ 363 097 773 Posts: 29,656	First - send back up files for your clients to hold on just in case. As for domains - have a list stored on your computer and tell your family/friends to act on it if you die.

11-06-2014, 04:11 PM	#16
Mutt Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 34,431	I'm not getting any younger, seeing friend and acquaintances not much older than me dying suddely so I did start thinking of this a couple of years ago so I wrote out an inventory of what I own online - domains, websites, content - with logins to domain registrars, email contact for people to talk to whom I trust. Included what I think they're worth and where/how to sell them, of course including a warning to be wary of people looking to get a quick bargain. I need to revise it, the realistic values of what I own are way down from when I did this 2-3 years ago. __________________ I moved my sites to Vacares Hosting. I've saved money, my hair is thicker, lost some weight too! Thanks Sly!

11-06-2014, 05:29 PM	#18
makko2 Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 104	Can server hosts be asked to enact a sort of 'emergency takeover' request so that if you croak suddenly they would know who it was pre-arranged with to takeover the site[s]? That person could be someone who was very trusted to takeover with knowledge on sites/ memberships etc.....

11-06-2014, 11:43 PM	#20
NALEM Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Where ever Delta flies Posts: 3,143	Here it is boys and girls .. Administering Digital Assets 18 pages of good reading. Last two contain the necessary clauses. __________________ "The time men spend in trying to impress others they could spend in doing the things by which others would be impressed."