In Malaysia, the most common types of businesses are sole proprietorships, partnerships and companies.

Sole proprietorships usually have just one business owner, and only Malaysian citizens or permanent residents can register. Personal names or trade names can be used as business names, and the Application of Business Name form must be filled in before a business can be registered. Certain names, like those associated with government agencies or royalty (i.e. "national", "chartered" or "di-Raja") or the name of another person who is not the owner of the business cannot be registered. The relevant authorities, like the Registrar of Business, reserve the right to reject any submitted name if it is deemed misleading or inappropriate in their opinion.

Partnerships comprise two or more business partners pooling their resources in a business with a view to profit. Like sole proprietorships, only Malaysian citizens or permanent residents can register partnerships. A partnership agreement is usually drawn up by legal counsel, which outlines the responsibilities of each partner, conditions of termination and means of resolving intra-partner disputes. Personal names or trade names can be used as business names, and the Application of Business Name form must be filled in before a business can be registered. Certain names, like those associated with government agencies or royalty (i.e. "national", "chartered" or "di-Raja") or the name of another person who is not an owner of the business cannot be registered. The relevant authorities reserve the right to reject any given name if it is deemed misleading or inappropriate in their opinion.

Companies are registered legal entities formed by several persons that can own property, draw contracts and employ people. The most common type of company in Malaysia is a company limited by shares (public limited and private limited companies). Private limited companies cannot sell shares to the public, and are distinguished by the appellation "Sendirian Berhad", shortened to "Sdn Bhd" or "S/B". Public limited companies source their capital by selling shares to the public, and are distinguished by the appellation "Berhad", shortened to "Bhd". Companies in Malaysia are governed by the Companies Act 1965, which protects the rights and interests of shareholders and investors, and provides regulations for the incorporation of companies, the formulation of company constitutions, management and closures. A company must have a minimum of two members, but a private limited company is limited to 50 members (public limited companies have no member limit). A minimum paid-up capital of only RM2 is needed to start a private limited company, while public limited companies need a paid-up capital of not less than RM60mil (if it seeks to be listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Main Board) or not less than RM40mil (if it seeks to be listed on the KLSE Second Board).