Build

Step 2 — Legal business setup

Agencies and landlords will ask who they are contracting with. Get the entity right before you buy hardware in a personal name you later regret.

• Form an LLC or corporation in your state and get an EIN.
• Open a business bank account. Do not mix applicant pass-through with rent money.
• Register for sales tax if your state treats the rolling fee as taxable (Florida often does for the service portion—confirm with your accountant).
• Get general liability and, where it fits, professional / E&O coverage. Some employer contracts will ask for a certificate.
• If you take cards, use a real merchant account and understand PCI. Do not type card numbers into a notes app.
• Write a simple privacy notice for the desk. You will collect SSNs, dates of birth, and biometrics.

This is not legal or tax advice. A local CPA who has seen fingerprint shops is worth more than a generic online LLC mill.