entertainer

You need to select a business entity such as a sole owner/proprietor, partnership, LLC or corporation all of which require that you also obtain a general occupation Business License. In 99% of the cases, that is the type of license you need. You do not need a special license for you type of business unless you are a member of a learned profession such as a doctor, lawyer, cpa, architect or engineer, or the trade professions such as construction contractor, electrician, beautician, health trades such as nurses etc.

All other businesses do not need any special licensing except where hazard is present as in the health or environment concerns as is the case of a tire store that needs a special permit to dispose old tires.

Naming Your Business

Unless you incorporate or set up an LLC, you will have to register your business name if you use a trade name such as "A1 Great Business Company," or something similar that sounds like a trade name and is other than your first and last legal name or your legal name.

Selling Taxable Items

Selling/Leasing products/food/equipment requires a sales tax ID

Sellers Permit to either buy or sell items or products wholesale and or sell them retail.

Hiring Workers within 30 days of starting your business requires a federal EIN and a State EIN employer identification numbers. Note that you also need a federal tax ID if you are a partnership, an independent contractor, a corporation or an LLC.

You can also obtain a federal tax ID as a sole proprietor an use it as a business tax ID in the place of a social security number but other registrations, such as licenses, a fictitious business name DBA, and tax IDs still needed as described above. Finally, even sole owner/proprietors working from home or just online can form an LLC or incorporate, in which case, they will not need to file a fictitious business name DBA.