By DANIAL FUAD
Registering a business is not so complex and it helps visual artists in multiple ways. The benefits also outweigh the risks, so it should be in the mind of every artist. In Malaysia, there are two types of registrations – Business and Company.
In essence what an artist should look into is Business Registration, because Company Registration falls into a more complex entity with multiple employees. There are two Business Registration types handled by Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) which are:
Sole Proprietorship
This mode fits the bill for any artist to register their art practice. As the name implies, only one person is the owner of the business and manages it. There are no other shareholders, but this does not mean you have to run everything yourself. As a registered entity, you can hire people to help you.
Partnership
Partnership is registered when two or more people are involved in the company. Artists that are looking to start a collective or studio with other people fall under this category. By registering early, everyone has their part to play and this will ease any clashes that might happen.
How To Register Your Business
Registering a business is easy because everything is done online and does not necessitate the applicant to physically go to an SSM office to get registered
1.
Ezbiz Registration
All business registrations are done online through the Ezbiz website. The first step is to register an Ezbiz Account. Take note that registering Ezbiz is not the same as registering your business. The function of the account is that the registered name is in the SSM database, so that any future applications can be done online.
1. Head on to the
Ezbiz website and click on the Sign Up button. This leads you to the next page where you require:
- ID type
- ID number
- Full name as per your MyKad
2. By clicking Register, you move on to the page where you provide personal information. Fill them in accordingly, then check the box after reading the Terms & Conditions before clicking Save.
3. The final step is to go to any SSM office to submit your thumbprint verification before any transaction can be done through the registered account. This needs to be done only once.
Business Registration
After having an EZbiz account, registering your business is only a few clicks away. The steps are:
1. Log into your EZbiz account;
2. Head to the top bar to the My Business Services tab;
3. Click on New Business under the New Business Registration tab;
4. Then it moves to a new page that consists of five sections and forms that need to be filled in. The content are as follows:
a. Main Information
- Name Type
- Your business name can be your own private name or a trade name. A trade name can be anything you think suits your practice.
- Business Start Date
- The normal period for business registration is about 30 (working) days from the start of your business.
Incentive
This section is not applicable unless you are a student starting a business.
Registration Time
This is the period that the registered company SSM certificate remains active. It can be from one year up to five years.
Business Info
Select “yes” for this part as this will include your company in the SSM database, so it becomes searchable.
Status
Don’t worry about this part as it is an administrative matter for the SSM staff.
Incubator
If you’re working outside of Sabah, you should select “No”.
If you’re starting a business in Sabah and have used an incubator service, select “Yes”.
Online Seller
If you have other merchandise apart from selling your own work, it’s wise to select “Yes”. There’s no harm in this if you don’t do online work but it will come in handy when you do decide to do it someday.
Business Address & Mailing Address
In the case of big companies, they may have different addresses like factories and a mailing office address for administration.
Starting a small business, the business and mailing address can be the same – be it your home or the studio you’re working from.
Branches
This can be skipped if you don’t have any other outlets for your business.
Business Code
Business Type
This is where you write about your practice and it should represent what you’re doing or selling.
Business Code
This differentiates the type of business done. You can key in “Art” in the search field and select the best code to represent you. Take note that you can pick more than one code, so select multiple choices.
Owners
If you’re registering for sole-proprietorship, you can skip this part.
If you’re registering a partnership, this should include your partner’s name and ID number.
Attachments
You can also skip this part as it is only for businesses that need supporting documents.
Fees & Declaration
This final section shows you the payment for your registration. The fees are:
Registration Of Business – this is either RM30 a year if you’re using your own name, or RM60 if you have a trade name.
Branches – if there are no other outlets in your registration, there’s no cost for this.
Business Info – this is the fee for your business details to be included in the SSM Database and costs RM10.
And that’s it! You’ve taken all the necessary steps to register, and if there are no issues regarding your name, the application should be completed in a few hours. You will get a notification, and then you can download your SSM Business Certificate.a.