Every county will have its own procedure and you may find that this is the place to begin tracking down all the licenses and permits that you need. This is the place I started, but was told to register my business name with the State first . . . so that's what I did.
The County Clerk's office will usually be helpful in getting you pointed in the right direction. They'll be able to send you to the proper window to pay your fees.
The type of business you're creating will have a lot to do with the licenses and permits you'll need from the County government.
If you are setting up a small Internet business as a sole proprietor, chances are good that you will only need a minimum of licenses. If, on the other hand, you're going to be operating out of a physical location, the county may require a number of inspections, health and fire permits, air and water pollution control permits, etc.
The county will want to monitor your sales, taxes and assets. They will extract business property taxes from your equipment if your business has such assets. They will monitor your for health and safety issues if those are present in your business.
Online businesses that rely mostly on the computer will have a minimum of paperwork to accomplish.
As with State registrations, there is a good chance your county web site (if there is one) will have some links pointing to instructions and rules for small businesses operating within the county.
Since there are a lot of residences within the United States located outside incorporated municipalities, new business owners will most likely have to get their "city" business license from the county in which they reside.
There is also a good chance that your information business will only need to be registered at one spot in the county courthouse, so this step should be fairly easy. By all means, call the County Clerk or go online to learn the process for your county.
After the initial registration, you probably will be able to handle all of your tax payments and paperwork online, at least in fairly progressive counties.
Don't cut this step out. Even though your business may be "low profile" and Internet based (with no physical location), the count will want its due and will be a thorn in your side if neglected. You could be shut down without the proper permits and payments.
