All you need to do is search on Google for business opportunities and it will bring up more results than you could ever imagine. Even though you may think it's easy to make a living on the internet, it actually requires a firm business plan and a lot of hard work.

You can run an online business in parallel with your current job. In fact 99.99% of affiliate marketers start out this way. As time passes and you start to make money, you will realize that your potential market is a lot bigger than the average stores, and hopefully you will be able to embrace this and give up the 9 - 5.

The first thing you'll need to decide is the type of business that's right for you. This should not be taken lightly, carry out lots of research in the chosen market. Then carry out some more research. You need to be 100% sure this business is right for you and your capabilities. There are many ways to make money on the internet, but some of the most popular are:

1. Affiliate programs

2. Adsense programs

3. Selling products

Affiliate programs will pay you a commission for selling the products of a particular merchant. You'll have no contact with the customer, as all you do is provide sales leads to the merchant. The merchant, or its website, will hopefully close the deal, and you'll get paid a predetermined commission for supplying the lead or buyer.

Adsense programs are essentially the monetising of a new or existing website using the Google Adsense program. Although nowadays there are many alternatives, like Albright, Miva, etc... The system works on the back of the Google Adwords program, where advertisers pay Google to advertise on their Search Engine or websites within the Google Adsense program. You simply place the Google Adsense code within your web pages and if people click on the ads you get paid a commission from Google. This can range from a few cents to 10's of dollars per click depending on how much the advertisers are paying in the Google Adwords program. Generally, a 5% CTR is seen on this type of program. Affiliates with high traffic sites are making lots of money using this type of system.

The final method covered in this article is selling products directly (or in this example indirectly). Drop shipping, has been around for years and years, but has become more accessible to the everyday person since the advent of the internet. Essentially, you build a website, with a shopping cart, using the details supplied by the drop shipping company. When customers buy products, you'll receive pay based on what you sell and how many. The best part is the drop ship company supplies all the products to the customers. This works a treat on Ebay!

When it all comes down to it, you'll need to set up a business and web site to get the most from E-Commerce or affiliate marketing. It'll take a lot of hard work and dedication but if you stick at it, you will reap the rewards. Just remember Rome wasn't built in a Day!