Overview

Overview

If you’re starting a business in Singapore, the first question to consider is whether you need to register it.

Anybody looking to carry out any activity for profit on an ongoing basis must register a business with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), unless you meet the following criteria for exemption:

• You use your full name, as per your NRIC, as your business name.
• You and your partner(s) use your full names, as per your NRIC, as your business name

Do note that if you add descriptive words to your name (eg: Flowers by Tan Mei Ling), you must register the business. There are other exemptions and the full list can be found here.

Key steps to start

Now that you know whether to register the business, here are 6 key steps to guide you:

1. Choose a business structure
2. Find a business address
3. Reserve your business name
4. Register your business
5. Create a Corppass account
6. Open a corporate bank account

Running a business from home

There are 2 schemes you can consider if you intend to operate your business from home. The Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme is for non-registered businesses while the Home Office scheme is for ACRA-registered businesses.

• Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme

  This scheme is for non-registered businesses conducting home-based business activities such as sewing work and baking at home. You should wholly own and operate this business without any employees. The activities should not materially affect the use of the premises as a residential unit and shall not cause disturbance to other residents in the neighbourhood.

  Criteria for Home-Based Businesses

  1. No person outside the household is to be employed.
  2. No external advertisement/business signboard is to be displayed.
  3. No extraneous traffic is introduced to the site.
  4. No noise, smoke, smell, effluent or dust nuisances or danger should be posed to the surrounding residents.
  5. No loading and unloading of goods by vans and trucks.
  6. The activities must comply with the rules and regulations of other authorities.
  7. HDB flats cannot be used for business registration. The use of a private residential premises address for business registration does not require planning permission, provided there is no material change of use of the residential premises.

  As long as the criteria are fulfilled, you do not need to seek any approval from HDB or URA to run your business from home for your non-registered business. You can find the full criteria and guidelines from HDB or URA.

• Home Office Scheme

  This scheme is for approved small-scale registered businesses operating from your home. You must be at least 18 years old or above and be either the owner, authorised occupier or tenant of the flat or private property. Please take note of the list of permitted business activities and guidelines here. Before registering your business with ACRA, you will need to seek approval from HDB for HDB flats or URA for private residential property.

Setup Cost Calculator

Get an estimate of how much it costs to start and run a business in Singapore with our Setup Cost Calculator.