I think you should get your licence.

Then got my GC licence and started slowly building.

That is the best place to get a true picture of disputes, current licensing and insurance, longevity and whether or not they keep changing licenses (multiple licences for the same person over the course of a few years can indicate less than desirable business practices).

But we have pretty strong laws to get a home improvement licence , and pretty high criminal penalties if you cheat or dont complete the job , and a criminal offence disqualifies you from getting a license .