A business license is the permission a city, county, state, or other authority may require before you operate legally. It is not the same thing as forming an LLC or getting an EIN, and different businesses can need different combinations of permits.
The exact rules depend on where you operate and what you sell or do. A home-based consultant, a contractor, and a retail shop may all face different requirements.
The safest move is to check local government rules first, then confirm whether your state or industry needs extra licenses. It is cheaper to get the paperwork right up front than to clean it up later.
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