Hey there, great questions.

Check out SBS' official crafting redux design journal, this should help clue you in:

https://chroniclesofelyria.com/blog/24679/Design-Journal-Crafting-Redux

If you have any more questions after that, come back and post, and I'll try to help ya out.

In general, a lot of mayors I have talked to plan on installing crafting stations in their settlements as part of the Expo phase. What station gets installed will depend on the materials available to the settlement. I intend to put in a fully stocked blacksmith shop in my settlement and hire a Blacksmith to run it (I already have one volunteer). So odds are you don't have to build one yourself. If you have a package that has Expo points just use your points to buy a blacksmith shop and materials to get started on. If your settlement already has a smithy, use your points to get extra wood, coal, metals and what ever else you need to get started.

With respect to the forge/shop part of your question, there are a lot of ways to go about this. Purchasing a gentry package from the store is a great option if you want to have your own forge, but you can also build one in-game using whatever currency exists to pay for the labor and construction, once you have the means to pay.

You can also try to find a blacksmithing family to spark into with your character that already has a forge that you can use, and work toward inheriting the forge by gaining favor with your NPC parents. The secondary benefit to joining a blacksmithing family is that your rate of skill progression in blacksmithing will be increased if your parents are smiths too.

There are also likely to be guilds or towns you can join that will allow you to use a crafting station as a benefit of joining, or to just rent one. However, this also means sharing workstations with others so you may find that there are players already using them during your play times.

If you choose to purchase a gentry package, you can spend the EP to create your own shop before launch (during the pre-launch setup phase called Exposition). From the EP Kits information we have so far, it looks like you'd have a couple of options if you go this route:

Profession Kits: 100 EP ea. These kits provide the starting equipment, tools, and patterns or techniques necessary to begin your occupation as a crafter, gatherer, explorer, or champion. (ex. Smithy kit, Carpenter Kit, Miner Kit, Soldier Kit, etc...) If the game supports a profession, chances are good there will be a kit available to help you get started. Individual items value at 20-40 EP.

Storefront Kits: 125 EP ea. Take your profession to the next level with a storefront kit. These kits provide the fixed location assets necessary to set up a shop, storefront, or other establishment on leased land. They'll typically include blueprints and resources for a small building, crafting stations or other furniture, and additional decor to help give the location a welcoming feel. (ex. forges & anvil, bar & tables, loom & spinning wheel, display cases and racks, etc...) Individual items value at 25-50 EP.

The gentry packages come with varying amounts of EP: Bloodline has 100EP, Settler has 250EP and Proprietor has 500EP. You can also purchase more EP to add to your total, if you wish (and get carried away like all the rest of us). If you want more control, go with a gentry package. You'll also support development of the game. But if you can't afford that option, just know there are other ways to go about it. :D

Welcome to CoE!