The single best reference for starting a business is Legal Zoom. Most people haven't had to ponder the vast amount of paper hanging that must happen at the federal level let alone State specific requirements to engage in commerce legally.
Start there. If you can stomach that slough then start the next level of business planning.
The key to the whole thing is to be absolutely meticulous in everything you do, including forming the right business Corp to protect your personal assets...make sure that your personal assets are protected.
Have you protected your personal assets yet
The rest is fairly easy...