Perform a thorough review of your company

Presenting the market with a well-prepared company not only provides investors with a more attractive investment alternative, but also gives a strong indication of how you do business. This investor confidence will be a significant factor in determining the effort required to sell your offering. Performing a thorough review of your company now will also facilitate its transition to life as a public company. 

Decide on the corporate and management structure

Analyze your existing corporate and capital structure with your advisers. Select structures that are simple and flexible, and can be adapted to the changing needs of a public company over time. In addition, re-examine your management structure, including management roles, responsibilities, authorities, and reporting structures.

Assemble the teams: internal and external 

You cannot do it alone! Going public is a big decision. The process involved requires specialized skills and experience. Bringing together a talented team from the inside—members of your board and company management—and from the outside (e.g., underwriters, lawyers, auditors, financial or tax advisers, investor relations) is a key element of a successful offering.

Develop a timeline and framework for project management 

The execution phase, from preparing the preliminary prospectus to finalizing the documents, is an intensive period of about three months. Many related activities also occur during this phase involving your advisers, management, and the regulators. You will want to maintain control throughout this process. A person on your team experienced in project management can help to manage and coordinate these activities.

Develop the offering 

In developing the offering, build on the research done when assessing whether the market is ready for you. This step involves making preliminary decisions about:

• The type of securities to be issued 
• The number of securities to be issued 
• The price at which they will be issued 
• The exchanges where the securities will be traded