Despite this, setting up and running an Internet business is a hundred times easier today than it was, say, five years ago. There are just so many more services and products available to assist you and I got to wondering how much easier things could really get?

This week, the UK Post Office has announced a new free service which allows people to buy their stamps online. You simply pay for the stamps you require with a credit/debit card and then print off a label to stick on your envelope. I haven't used the service yet but as far as I can tell, the label even includes the address to which the letter is going so you don't even need to write it out (or print off a second label)!

A similar service has been in operation in the US for some time but this is fairly new technology in the UK. Just think how much time this new service could potentially save the average eBay seller....

One of the main reasons I stopped selling on eBay was because I couldn't stand queuing up in the Post Office to get stamps for my packages. Using the new online service, I could just print off my stamps and then drop all of my letters/small packages straight into the letterbox. There would be no need to even go into the Post Office. Admittedly this might not be the case for larger parcels but the PO/couriers will pick these up from your house for regular senders (how much easier can it get?!)

The other thing I used to have to do was venture out to buy packing materials from a local office supplies company. Of course, there is no longer any need to do this as for several years it has been possible to get all of your packing materials (and in fact pretty much anything else) delivered to your door. In addition the prices are cheaper than the local stores too!

Whilst taking my packages etc the Post Office, I also used to have to visit the bank to pay cheques/checks in and then wait for them to clear. Again, this hasn't been necessary for years with the growth of services such as Paypal and NoChex. Now all an online trader needs to do is check their email!

With so much of the offline world gradually coming online, it is already perfectly possible to run an Internet business without ever leaving your house. I used to joke that if the mood took me, that I could run my businesses without ever getting out of bed. This was never completely true since there would always be one or two tasks that I couldn't do from the comfort of my home but these are getting fewer and fewer.

So we are heading towards a situation whereby you can build and manage your own business without ever going outside, without ever talking to anyone and if you wish, without ever getting out of bed! Not only that but this business has the potential to earn you more money than you would ever earn by doing the exact opposite (ie. going out and working). Ok, staying in bed for the rest of your life may not be the best thing for you and the lack of social interaction would probably drive you mad but is it just me that finds this possibility an incredible thing?

I mean, how much easier can it get?

Copyright 2006 Richard Grady