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Some experts who are following modern technology have called the world of domains a gold rush scenario, but profiting from domain name administration isn't always easy. Some entrepreneurs might get a healthy yield from investing in domain names, but others can find this type of work to be a difficult process. One of the key roles in handling domains is the role of a domain registrar. A domain registrar is an entity that is accredited to register domain names and administer providing domain services to the public. Starting up a domain registrar involves some critical steps, and for those who want to understand how to become a domain registrar, it's important to understand the general process and what needs to be involved.
Steps
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1Learn about ICANN accreditation. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an agency that domain registrars must go through. Find out more about this regulating group online to know more about what it takes to become a domain registrar.
- Read up on ICANN fees. According to industry resources, domain registrars must pay at least $4,000 to ICANN for starting up.
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2Find out about other accreditations. Other accrediting rules often apply to domain registrars.
- Learn about generic top level domain (gTLD) and country code level domain (ccTLD) registry needs. Domain registrars may also have to go through companies like VeriSign or others in order to get full accreditation.
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3Study the domain business. To get an idea of whether domain registration or some other role is right for you, learn more about domain name handling. You may choose to go in the direction of domain name buying and selling or, Internet real estate, rather than trying to get set up as a domain registrar.
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4Learn about other rules for domain registrar contractors. Other provisions apply to the task of starting up as a domain registrar. Some of these will involve more high costs; others are procedural necessities for this kind of administration.
- Find out about applicable liability insurance. A domain registrar may need to have business liability insurance for up to a certain amount in order to secure a domain registration business.
- Find out about stable IP address requirements. A domain registrar will need a set IP address in order to provide domain name services.
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5Work toward independent or career domain registrar goals.
- If your goal is to become a domain registrar business, most of your attention will be toward the above challenges and all of the other regulations that apply to domain name handling.
- If you choose to become a domain registrar as an employee of a bigger domain name handling company, get familiar with the telecommunications companies that often handle domain name registration. Find contacts through job fairs and other events and get a foot in the door at a domain name handling company.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I make a domain for free?
Community AnswerThere is a domain registrar called "freenom" which lets you register .tk, .gq, .ga, .cf, and .ml domains for free for one year, however some have reported that freenom took their domain(s) away for no reason. An alternative to freenom is to get a subdomain like .cu.cc for free.
