tl:drCan we have a page here where some experienced businessmen give us some advice on where to begin with owning your own business and where to start learning everything you need to know?

Quick intro. Not trying to brag just to show context and what you can achieve if you put your head to it
Moved to a first world country some 6yrs ago. Had nothing but a shitty car. Went on the internet, downloaded some materials and started studying. Fast forward couple years later I'm in a big city, working for a big corporation and making six figures.

Body
The field I'm in, you can be a consultant and make some big bucks if you know your shit. Couple more years of experience at my current job and I'd like to pursue my own business consulting, in the meanwhile getting one of the biggest certs in IT with less than 55k certified people worldwide. It's my plan and I'm sticking to it.
My problem is I don't know anything about business. I mean nothing. I don't know the different types you can register for, which provides protection for your personal assets like a house, car etc. How do you keep track of expenses, determine how your taxes work (do you get a CPA to do it?), how to incorporate benefits into (if possible), if you work from home do you get tax breaks?, if you're profitable do you have a "company bank account" and pay yourself a salary or take it out of the business?. Can you buy a car with the company's cash that you'll use to travel with? Is it a good idea to have a third party company take care of all of this taxes, payroll and money stuff?

My question might seem stupid but i'm serious. I don't know where to start. If you own your own business, can you give me resources to read and study up on that explains everything Business 101 for individuals? I have a few hobbies that keep me entertained but I need to get my ducks in order in the next 2yrs or so while I study to for a big cert. It's easy to say "start your own business", but how? Registering, taxes, payroll, software, do's and don'ts, third party companys to handle part of it, lawyers? I'm lost.

Summary:
We see suggestions for making business one of your passions if you're interested to build your own small empire. I'm sure I speak for a few, we don't know where to start or where to find all the info we need. It would be great, even in a sticky post, where experienced businessmen can offer advice, preferable link to somewhere, that will teach those of us that don't know anything about starting your own business.