Technically, if you are planning on operating a business you should register and get any required licenses or permits before you open for business. But you can start as a sole proprietorship and get set up fairly low cost by registering a DBA and getting a Tax ID number. Do a google search for 'starting a business in (your state)' and you should find plenty of resources to help out. Or you can contact a local accountant to walk you through the process.
Trademarking is somewhat different. It's not a requirement to operate a business. So it's all based on preference if you want to go that route. My advice is usually this... If you have enough startup funds to afford to register a trademark, then you should go ahead and do it. But if you are on a limited budget, then spend your money on production and marketing instead of legal. You can always trademark later on.
And something to keep in mind about trademarks is that your registration doesn't automatically prevent someone from stealing your mark. You need to actively and aggressively protect your mark by issuing cease and desist letters and/or suing those who infringe on you intellectual property. So unless you are actually going to sue people to protect your trademark, there's no rush to register. Once you start selling product with your mark, you gain common law trademark.
Trademarking is somewhat different. It's not a requirement to operate a business. So it's all based on preference if you want to go that route. My advice is usually this... If you have enough startup funds to afford to register a trademark, then you should go ahead and do it. But if you are on a limited budget, then spend your money on production and marketing instead of legal. You can always trademark later on.
And something to keep in mind about trademarks is that your registration doesn't automatically prevent someone from stealing your mark. You need to actively and aggressively protect your mark by issuing cease and desist letters and/or suing those who infringe on you intellectual property. So unless you are actually going to sue people to protect your trademark, there's no rush to register. Once you start selling product with your mark, you gain common law trademark.
