In a normal workweek, it’s not unusual for an affiliate marketer to hunt for cubicles at Starbucks or avoid cute cats like the plague.

Like the other day, I bumped into a college friend at the corner street Starbucks where I grab an occasional latte while managing my budding affiliate business. After the usual pleasantries, my friend asked me if it was my day off from work since it looked like I was spending a weekday just catching up on the latest video posts from the hilarious smosh duo.

Maybe he got the idea since I was wearing my Not Suitable For Work shorts and crocs.

But when I explained to him the nature of my affiliate marketing business-and how it works quite differently from the 9 to 5 job my friend held at the bank-he gave me a quick nod, the kind you receive when people think your ideas are weird but are polite enough to keep their opinions to themselves .

My friend and I had exchanged business cards, and this afternoon he gave me a quick email asking: “Hey, I’m curious. What do you like about your job?”

Having received similar questions from my family, I casually shot him back five reasons why it rocks-and what it takes-to be an affiliate marketer.

Great Income Potential. I didn’t go into affiliate marketing to get rich the quick and easy way. It started out as a way for me to build some supplemental income. I spent a few hours every day fine-tuning my websites and researching great products to promote. Every successful click and purchase earned me a few cents, and roughly a year or so into it, with revenues from referrals slowly reaching hundreds of dollars a day, I decided to trade in my corporate job to work as a full-time affiliate.

No Fancy Prerequisites. One aspect that appealed to me-and other online publishers I’ve met in chat rooms or in real life-is that affiliate marketing is not an elitist business. I’ve met affiliates who became successful despite the lack of a college degree or thousands of dollars in start-up capital. But what they had were spot-on instincts on how to attract online customers and dedication to do research, skills that even soccer moms with web access can hone in their spare time.

Be Your Own Boss. Those who’ve had the displeasure of working for a slave driver can see the benefit in being their own boss. On a more personal note, though, I’ve learned how to avoid procrastination by rewarding myself after a productive day in front of the computer. Not everyone can work efficiently without external supervision, but working as an affiliate forces you to obey your inner taskmaster.

Learn Valuable Trade Skills. Being an affiliate marketer has also sharpened my creativity in solving problems at hand, whether it’s determining a profitable portfolio of products to carry or developing affiliate marketing strategies to entice the right kind of customers to my websites. Thinking on your feet and having a firm grasp on what makes online buyers tick are valuable trade skills that will become an in-demand commodity among firms looking to sell their wares via the web.

Work From Anywhere. As a child, my parents diagnosed me with a serious case of wanderlust. I couldn’t keep still and was always excited with our yearly out-of-town trips. The mobility afforded by my affiliate business allowed me to indulge in this guilty pleasure, so I spend half of my week working out of home. Cafés, libraries, parks-any flat surface can be my office space provided I bring along my wireless broadband and some extra laptop batteries.

Sounding convinced, my friend replied that he’d love to join me in one of my Starbucks work days to observe. I agreed, jokingly asking though that he refrain from sharing the misadventures of his pet kittens (he’s a confessed cat lover).

He asked why, and I said it would send me in a LOL cats viewing frenzy–and my inner boss definitely won’t have that kind of distraction!