Hey Rad, I've got a server I've been running for about 7 months now, and it's gained a small following.
I've made a few mistakes in my development, so I am happy to help pass on some wisdom to you.
Imma DM you a full list of websites you can list your server on.
For hardware, I recommend a CPU that has a high clock speed and fewer cores. This is because Minecraft server, for the most part, only takes advantage of 1 thread. So a 3.5GHz processor with 6 threads (this specification is typically listed on the CPU's details) will not perform as well as something like a 4.2GHz processor with 4 threads, which could effectively be 3 good servers vs 6 subpar servers.
Use PCPartPicker.com to put together a list.
To start, a processor between the Intel i5 and i7 series will probably be just fine, but this stuff will probably be a little expensive. My server build was about $700. Anything with a base clockspeed ~3.6Ghz+ and boost of 4.2GHz+
Honestly, depending on how beefy your personal computer is, I'd recommend just starting off trying to run and develop the server on it first, then move it to a dedicated machine later if you find this stuff to be something you enjoy.
Small minecraft servers typically like to have 4GB of ram at least, so plan your RAM around how many minecraft servers you plan to run.
Honestly, if you're just looking to run 1 server, look for the highest base and boost clockspeed CPU that has 2 cores and 4 threads or so.
If you're really interested in doing this kinda stuff, I'd be happy to help you along more the way.
