1. Because your business is online, it works for you even when you are not at your computer. Sales, payments (and in many cases, delivery) can all be automated so you don't have to spend time on this side of things. It's a bit like having a team of employees working for you while you are asleep, the difference being that you don't have to pay wages or deal with staff issues!

However, working on your own can be lonely, and it can take a lot of inner strength to keep going if things get hard. The solution to this is to join some online forums and find some mentors and friends who you can turn to for advice and encouragement. We all need support at times, so make sure you have a network of people who will be positive about your venture.

2. In most online businesses there is no need for storage or much office space. If you use affiliate marketing selling other people's products, most online companies do all the stock delivery for you. All you need is a computer and internet access.

Finding a dedicated area in your home is, however, very important. Many people who work at home find it difficult not to be distracted by family, phone calls or pets. You need to have a space which allows for as little interruption as possible.

3. With an internet business you don't have to spend much time dealing with customer service issues. By setting up a Frequently Asked Questions section on your website your visitors will find answer to the most common questions before they need to contact you. You can also offer support tickets sent to you via email, which you can answer within a given time frame.

Dealing with customers is usually a very pleasant experience, but occasionally you might need to deal with someone who is negative, no matter how good your product or service is! In these situations it's best not to respond in a negative way, but calmly and politely. If you need to get it off your chest, share it with others on a forum if you like, then forget it and move on.

4. Setting up an online business can be much quicker than setting up a more traditional, offline business, and much less expensive. With affiliate marketing in particular, you can get your business started and have the potential to earn money within minutes with very little outlay.

However, making a profit can take time, so you do need patience at the beginning of your business. It's wise to give yourself a budget, but this can be as little as $100 per month, as many effective forms of internet marketing are free.

5. Adding new products or services is easy with an internet business. In many cases it just a matter of adding a link to your website, or writing a sales page. In time, you can build up a niche with many different products and services within your subject area.

Some people find setting up and maintaining a website is a daunting prospect. The technical side of this is something you will need to learn if you want to be able to run your website yourself and not leave it to someone else. However, the basics are not that difficult to learn, and once you have the basic knowledge you can easily modify your site whenever you wish.

6. Unlike a local retail business, competition is not really an issue with the internet because your business is available world wide. There will always be prospects or customers.

You will of course need to learn how to get traffic to your website using search engine optimization and internet marketing. Again, this can be learned very quickly and does not have to cost money.

7. Once you are making a profit with one website, you can start another one in a different niche and double your earning potential! In time, you can branch out into as many niche areas as you want.

Finding a good niche need not be difficult as long as it both interests you and it is an area that will attract customers. Find out what people are spending money on, and offer it, with your own personal twist.

As you can see, the advantages to running a home business online are many, and the downsides are minor compared to more traditional businesses. A home based internet business is a wonderful opportunity to become financially independent and create the lifestyle you have always dreamed of.