So I'm a college student and have come up with some ideas for potential business ventures I might want to pursue. How would you begin?

How do I know what the all of the legal rules and regulations are, especially as bills are signed into law everyday? What about financially as far as structure and taxes? Business insurance? Licensees? and permits? Where/how can I register the business and do I need any type of legal documents to make sure I am protected from liabilities? Where do I get all of this information?

I know a lot of my questions depend on the industry, what the business is, and what state I live in, but I mostly want to know: How do I legitimate an idea into a "real" business?