Legally organizing your business really is about having some credibility, having some branding and marketing panache to go with your business. Forming a legal business means that you’ve gone to the state and you’ve formally set up some sort of an entity that has a name and establishing your name in that way protects your name from use by competitors.
An entity can be either a corporation or a limited liability company or a partnership and the choice of that entity is something that you should seek the advice of an attorney to help you select the proper one for your business.