Build your business, one step at a time.
Small actions. Responsible growth.
ESG means environmental, social and governance: how your business uses resources, treats people and makes accountable decisions. Start with the impacts you can measure and improve.
Record electricity in kWh, water in cubic metres and waste in kilograms each month. For F&B, weigh food waste and review portions and stock rotation. For services, review cooling, lighting, travel and equipment use. Record costs separately: a lower bill alone does not prove lower emissions.
Agree clear work terms, identify safety hazards and provide a way to raise concerns. Keep training and incident records without exposing personal details. Ask suppliers about working conditions and how they handle complaints.
Separate business and personal money. Keep invoices, record who approves spending, and set rules for gifts and conflicts of interest. Protect customer information and check evidence before making environmental claims.
Choose one month as your starting point. Gather bills, waste records and staff feedback. Note missing data, the business activities covered and who owns each action.
Pick one resource-saving action, one workplace improvement and one record-keeping improvement. Set a budget, owner and review date. Example: test smaller food batches before buying new equipment.
Compare results with the baseline and note changes in sales, opening hours or weather. Track both total use and use per unit, such as kilograms of food waste per meal. Keep receipts and explain estimates; decide what to continue next month.
Avoid vague labels such as “100% green” or “carbon neutral” without appropriate evidence. State what changed, the period measured and the limits of your data. This starter guide is not certification, an ESG score or a complete reporting standard.
MITI’s i-ESG Framework 1.0 covers 2024–2026 and focuses on manufacturing. Use it for background; check current requirements with the relevant authority or adviser. Customer requests, lender criteria and formal reporting obligations are different and depend on your business.
Sources consulted: 29 September 2026. Educational guidance; not a verified compliance assessment.
YOUR STARTING POINT
You don’t need to have it all figured out. Start with what matters to you now.
A PRACTICAL TOOLKIT
Use what you need, when you need it. These tools are free to explore.
Work through the questions that turn an idea into a plan.
Open tool → 02Compare sole proprietorship, PLT and Sdn Bhd.
Open tool → 03Explore setup and recurring costs for your first year.
Open tool → 04Explore funding and programmes by community and region.
Open tool →Begin with a real customer need. Take each stage at your own pace before committing to the next.
Four questions. The answer updates as you go.
Work through the essentials one at a time. Your checklist progress is saved in this browser.
Filter earlier programme records by community and region. These categories are research aids, not eligibility decisions.
Check current availability and conditions with the organisation. A record here does not mean applications are open.
Illustrative first-year planning only. Imported fees and contribution rates are unverified. Adjust available inputs to your quotes and confirm fixed assumptions separately.
Use these topics to prepare questions for the relevant authority or adviser. They are not verified legal conclusions.