But the online business experts will tell you that making money online is equally, if not more, difficult than off-line business. In some cases, off line business, despite its apparent high investments and attendant problems, is even easier than online business and also a surer way to make money.

For example, if you open a grocery shop, you are certain to get some customers in course of time even if you do not advertise. Making a living does not appear to be really difficult in such cases.

Open an online store and you wait till eternity. Not a single soul is likely to turn up unless you advertise extensively on the internet. There is a huge competition. Since online work appears to be much easier and cost efficient than setting up building, infrastructure, more and more people just rush up to set up their online stores and sales programs. After all, nowadays, everybody owns a personal computer and an internet connection.

It must be noted that you need to set up a website'an online substitute for your brick and mortar store or office. You have to pay a webmaster for building a website and keep paying him to modify it as long as you are in business.

Then you need customers to buy your wares, products or services. You need to establish your credibility among them. You have to try several advertisement and business gimmicks like offering freebies, bonuses and discounts to attract buyers.

You have to set up ezines, newsletters and mailing lists. You need to attract customers to opt for receiving your mails. You need a different kind of infrastructure for running an online business too, which if not as costly as in offline business, can be quite as difficult to sustain.

How about running an online business without all these problems?

You do not need a website. You do not need to find customers to sell your products. You do not need opt-in lists, enzines, ad-word advertisement campaigns and so on to find leads and close sales.

In fact you enjoy all the benefits and comforts of working online without having to be always on your toes devising ever-new strategies to keep your online business going.

This business is called online stock trading.

You can work in the comfort of your home. You can work even when you are on the move, enjoying luxurious cruising vacations on the Mediterranean or staying in a hotel. You remain with your family and kids. You do not have to stick to any fixed work schedule. You can work during day or even at night, if you like.

Online stock trading has numerous other equally attractive benefits.

1. Low commissions

Earlier whenever you wanted to invest in stocks you had to pay high commissions to the brokers. The real world brokers, as against the present virtual, online brokers, would charge fairly large commissions on any trade that took place through their good offices.

The advent of computer and internet has spawned a large number of online brokerage firms for the simple reason that setting up online brokerage firm is now much more easy and cost efficient than offline brokerage firms in the earlier times. There is, therefore, a huge competition among the brokerages to woo stock trading customers. The brokerages not only offer numerous freebies and other alluring services, but also lower commissions. Moreover, the online brokerages can afford to offer lower commissions because of the lower overhead expenses due to the online nature of the work itself.

2. Education

Knowledge about any trade is a first pre-requisite for its successful implementation. There is an abundance of information resources on the internet about online stock trading. You can start online stock trading even if you have zero knowledge about the trade. There is a surfeit of websites set up by the online stockbrokers to educate their clients in the art of online stock trading.

3. Freedom and Flexibility

You can execute your trade any moment you like, whether you buy a stock or sell it. Besides, there is no investment threshold. You can trade with as little as two or three dollars. You can invest even millions if you like. You can buy and sell one or hundreds of shares. Your earnings are instantly credited to your account. This freedom and flexibility is not easily available in any other business.