Forums mIRC Help a few questions on making a successful channel.

I'm assuming your chosen network has ChanServ, as you already mentioned NickServ. You will need to register your channel so that it doesn't 'disappear' once the last person leaves it. Create your channel, then type /chanserv help register

Some networks have a bot lending service, or you could search around for an eggdrop bot. If you opt for the latter, you will need either a shell account or a 24/7 connection.

Depending on what modes you set for your channel, you might opt to restrict it to people with registered nicks.