On 1, It was surprisingly easy to get started. We fly under Part 107, which basically says as long as you're flying low, in line of sight, and not over people you're unrestricted. And we found a local municipal airport that has a drone test range, and they've been enormously helpful.
On 2, we're big fans of vertical integration and will definitely manufacture the envelopes in house. Goal is to build the envelope/structure, and buy the propulsion/avionics off the shelf.