It seems to me that it is easier to generate income by investing in something that provides a good or service than it is by trading on your own. Note that i said easier, not better. I have been taking trading serious as a way to generate income for only a short time now but would like to here the opinions of others on this question. I am a small business owner (boat, vehicle and RV storage) and do not have any source of income other than that. I have had rent houses in the past but can tell the boat/RV thing is about the easiest money to be made. Mow and weed eat a few months out of the year all the while collecting checks in the mail. I have been drawn to trading my entire adult life but have never pursued it until recently and have to admit as someone who is usually quick to learn and pick up on things I never expected it to be THIS difficult. I understand that one difficulty trading has over your typical job or business ownership is the lack of external feedback and quality control. If you mess up at work the manager or owner will let you know and you correct it if you value the position...If you are a business owner the customer will act as the external feedback and tell you if your product or service sucks. With trading that is all eliminated...you are free to make mistakes on your own with the only person providing quality control being the same person making the mistakes. Problem. After a series of recent failures (thank you options), i have been thinking long and hard about this and a random thought popped into my head about another obstacle trading has going against it...the fact that you arent serving anyone else. This quote comes to mind: "You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar, 1984 This isnt an "i quit" or "trading sucks, buy rentals" thread by any means but would more like a discussion on the challenges and how to overcome them. Also, If anyone agrees or disagrees with my statement that the simple fact of your not providing anything for anyone but yourself (and immediate family perhaps) it makes it harder to generate profits, please share.