Starting an online business is some of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has made me able to travel through 4 continents the past 2 years, going camel trekking in Sahara, scuba diving in Asia, visit amazing cities and be wherever I want, whenever I want. I’ve been able to work from literally anywhere. And the best part is that I started it with almost no money in my bank account at the age of 18, with no business experience whatsoever. Here’s five of my reasons for people to look into starting their own online business.

1. It allows you to work your own hours

When you run your own online business, you are your own boss. This means that you can schedule your day after which hours you are most productive, and sleep whenever suits you and your lifestyle the best. You can start your day by going for a walk in nature, or doing any other things you enjoy before actually getting to work. You can go for a workout at noon when the gym is least crowded. You don’t have to get stuck in the rush traffic every single day after work. You can put down your laptop on a nice summer day and go play with the children, go surfing or swimming, and get back to the work whenever you want in the afternoon. This freedom to live each day exactly how you want it is definitely one of my favorite parts of running an online business.

2. You can travel wherever you want

You’re no longer required to work in an office. Heck, you don’t even need to work from home! After starting my first online business, I was able to work from island beaches and hillside resorts in Asia, beautiful cafes around in Europe, on trains through mountain passages and in moroccan riads. Most online businesses can more or less be run from anywhere, either from your laptop or your phone. This frees you up to travel to the places you’ve always wanted, while maintaining an income to pay for it all. Always wanted to live on a tropical island for a while? Or in the countryside of France? With an online business, geographical location is no longer an issue, and it’s probably much cheaper than you think.

3. You can do something you’re passionate about

Always wanted to become a travel blogger? Or launch your own t-shirt online store? When you start your own online business, you get to choose exactly what to work with, based on your interests, passions and skills. That means even though you need to put in a lot of hours in the beginning to launch a successful business – it barely feels like work when you do something you truly enjoy. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” – Confucius.

4. You can spend more time with loved ones

Being your own boss, you are be able to work from home, spend more time with your family, and schedule your work days more efficiently. One of the most common regrets of the dying, is that they wish they didn’t work so hard. They wish they didn’t miss out on their children’s youth, the companionship of their life partner, and all the other amazing things life has to offer outside of the office. By taking control over your work life, you will be able to spend more time with loved ones, and can avoid getting stuck in the rat-race as life passes by.

5. Low Startup Costs

Anybody with a laptop and internet connection can set up a website and start an online business, even for less than $100. Low startup costs means that there is no real risk of financial loss, yet all kinds of potential rewards. I started my first online business at the end of high school, with more or less no money in my bank account. It ended up generating over 100x the amount I invested in starting it within the first year after the launch. With a low startup cost, but incredibly high potential returns – there are few reasons not to get started.