Brookie,
You would need to check with your county government to see what is required to open a business. A business license is not required where I operate my business.
Also check with your state's Department of Labor to determine if you need to register your business name.
Your profile here on VAF is not complete so I couldn't provide any links to your state organizations to assist you. Perhaps you want to complete your profile as we can better respond to your questions more thoroughly.
One really great source for start up requirements per state and county is your local SCORE office. They offer free counseling. You can find your local office here
https://www.score.org/
Best,
Janine