There 3 levels of registration you need to file to legally start a business: Federal, State & local. Your State has a helpful step by step guide with links to each.

http://www.ok.gov/redirect.php?link_id=426

You will also see links on that page to register your business name w/your State, determine what services are taxable (sales & use) & how to collect/report those taxes, etc. Just take it one step at a time. Once registered you will not need to focus on that again.

Yes, you will want unique accounting (banking, credit card, loans) just for your business. A clear paper trail, record keeping and organization right from the start will make running your business easier. Get a copy of a program like QuickBooks (free basic version available online to download) & spend a day setting it all up. Then make a habit of keeping it up to date as a sold record keeping source. It will help you w/customer invoicing & at tax time you can even flawlessly connect to your tax software to maxi business deductions.

Study the benefits you can obtain from Business Unique credit cards to see if any of the added services will offset the annual cost. Plus check out your local Chamber of Commerce for group buying power including insurance - not all Chambers offer it but other services, support and contacts may be well worth joining.

Your local SCORE counselors are ready to offer you free business counseling to help with the above - see www.score.org, Find Experts Link

Alice, Pitts edit