If you see public life as part of your corporate evolution, it’s important to plan well ahead for this journey. Beginning to enhance your company’s communications platform and public profile, and gaining a better understanding of the IPO process, will go a long way toward a successful transaction and seamless transition into public company life.

Some areas to focus on:

• Define who you are as a company. Develop a corporate posture that frames your business, goals, and how you will want investors and analysts to measure your progress. Be sure that you are the one to craft your identity.   
• Start acting like a public company, now. Consider an enhancement to the company’s website, and establish a pattern of regular public communication. Share substantive corporate developments using measured and conservative language that is free of jargon and hype. If you don’t do this well in advance of the IPO, it becomes difficult to claim a “normal course of business” exemption once the process commences. 
• Begin the audit and SOX compliance process early. Identifying and addressing any gaps early is critical prior to the IPO.
• Determine your peer set. Performance in the public markets will to a large degree be judged by how you compare to you peers. Identify those comps early and recognize the similarities and differences in order to better understand how you measure up. Distinguish and be prepared to call out any metrics that are specific to your company and set you apart from the competition.
• Meet an array of investment banks to find the right match. There are all shapes and sizes out there; it’s important to partner with a firm that is the best fit with your company’s size, industry and team so that they can provide the expertise needed and bring the right investors to the deal.
• Interact with investors and analysts at industry events and investor conferences. Providing insight into your business and industry position prior to the public filing makes your company more of a “known entity” and enables you to gather feedback on how best to present the thesis to investors. Foster analyst relationships that could lead to future coverage and/or banking.
• Surround yourself with experienced advisors, including legal, audit, and investor relations. Pick their brains, heed their warnings, and consider their advice. Each play a crucial role in determining the success of the offering and positioning the company for long-term success after closing.

At The Equity Group, we’re committed to helping clients thrive at each stage of their corporate development. Read more about our IPO IR capabilities, and contact us to discuss how we can support your journey into the public markets.