I've done flooring: tile, laminate and hardwood. It paid fairly well.
I had the benefit of working with my dad on it. He had already taken care of all the business license/liability stuff. However, he did have to create an LLC to continue installing for the company he was affiliated with. That ended up costing a decent amount. At the same time, we were good at what we did and pulled in about $800/day combined.
And although I know it doesn't cost $200 to fill out some paperwork, the proceeds from that filing also help to regulate the business sector. We need these regulations. I know you're thinking that flooring isn't a big deal but I know I wouldn't use an unlicensed plumber or electrician. We need business licenses to regulate the construction industry so that I can be confident in the work provided to me as a consumer.
My advice: find some friends who need odd jobs done around the house, even if its only $20-30 worth. Work on those in the evening. Ten of those and you'll have the money you need for the license. I'd offer someone $40 to clean and organize my stuff in the basement. Its probably only 2 hours work. That would get you 1/6 the way there.
™ Version 4.2
