The legalities of starting a new business.

[Phresh]

I'm very unfamiliar with the laws that dictate the startup of new businesses. These legalities are something which every entrepreneur must eventually learn; hopefully successful business owners will offer their advice.

-I plan on distributing 2-3 small, quarter operated vending machines throughout a local shopping center. Am I legally inclined to have a registered business before I do this? Should I anyway?

-As I understand, if you register a business as an LLC, your business name is automatically registered in your state. The exception is with a ficticious name, e.g., "Sun Valley Laundromat", as opposed to "Jackson's Laundromat." You must pay extra for the latter.

-Registering your name as a trademark is a seperate issue and is geared towards bigger business as they stand to lose more if they're copied/stolen from.

-Is an LLC the way to go for a small vending company? Most vending companies I've seen are an LLC.

I live in Washington. Please correct me if anything is wrong. Thanks.