I am in college and I need to make some money this summer… I want to start up an online business…
what should I do? What business opportunities can I partake in through the online world that is practical for a college student and will earn me some bucks???
What kinds of skills and interests do you have?
Reselling thrift store items on Ebay can probaly generate $ 100 - $200 a day if attacked with ferocity, but to some extent this assumes a degree of life experience to know what is saleable, and what is not (ie junk). With respect to selling newer items, whatever you choose to do, there is generally someone with more time on their hands and more experience already doing it. If you have exclusive access to a unique item at wholesale prices there are good livings to be made.
In real world terms, however, online businesses are often no less time consuming than “real jobs”. Getting a waiter or waitress postion at a busy bar or restaurant, or a manual labor type construction job is probably the highest return on time investment for most students.
Does your subject sound as if you have some special knowledge that you can sell to some small company at a competitve but still too high price?
e.g. Computer scientists have a reputation of knowing a bizarre range of things. Most of the time it’s not true and/or the knowledge is not that special anyway, but they get hired nonetheless.
If you’re a hot coed and own a webcam you have all you need to set up a very profitable online bussiness.
I’m not picky… I’m a prelaw student. I am somewhat experienced in graphic design/webdesign etc… the sky is the limit.
One of my coworkers is looking to start up his own online porn site. Hey, they make up, what? 80% of the sites out there? If they can support that many, they obviously get paid quite a good deal, so there’s a suggestion.
Of course, if you’re pre-law, that may not be the best thing for you, especially if you think you’ll get involved in politics. Of course, there is something to be said about that “Dirty Lawyer” look 
What about online consulting? I don’t know if that violates any kind of morality issues, but perhaps that could do something. Or, if you’re really good at it, contract/resume reviewing/editing…stuff like that.
Here. Steal my idea.
Talk to a few take-out restaurants in your area and negotiate a deal so that you can buy food from them for some discounted price. Then, you find some area of the city/office building (all depending on how ambitious you are), with busy office people who don’t have time to go get their own lunch. Instead, they log in to your web page and order what they want for lunch (at the same price as the restaurant offers). Then, you deliver this order to them. Discount you negotiate = Profit (minus your own costs etc…).
Make them have to order before 10am or whatever time, then call in the orders to the restaurants. You pick them up and deliver at the same time each day (whenever lunch is for most people). Low costs for you. Good prices for customers.
This isn’t really a pure online business, I guess. But, it’s the business I plan to start when I have time one day, or if I don’t manage to get a job when I graduate.