Hi,
The first step to becoming a contractor is to find out what the licensing requirements are. I was a licensed C-2 contractor in California from 1993-2004, and all contractors had to pass a two-part exam to get their license.
Part I is the trade portion of the test, and you have to answer questions specific to your trade or license category.
Part II of the test was all the legal, safety, and business questions part of the test.
You will most likely also need to get a performance bond before you can start bidding/performing work.
Here is the link to the South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board --> https://llr.sc.gov/clb/
Good Luck!