What is an IPO?
IPO stands for Initial Public Offering and as the name suggests it is the first time a company offers their stock to the public. Some call the process of offering the initial shares as “going public” since up until shares in the company are sold to the public, the company is considered a private company.
Choosing to go public is a process that is not recommended for every company. While selling shares is a way to infuse cash into the business, the process it is not without difficulties. All business decisions are no longer just in the hands of the original owners as every stockholder is now an owner. Prior to going public a company’s reporting is simple – file just an income tax return and any industry reporting requirements. After going public a company must provide financial statements on a quarterly basis as well as have all reports open to public scrutiny. Another concern with going public is the costs involved with registering an IPO and the additional expenses involved with being sure to adhere to SEC regulations.
On the other hand, you may wonder what is an IPO benefit. There are actually a number of benefits in having an IPO even beyond the increase in capital that is created. One of the most valuable can be the increase in attention that the IPO will bring the business which can result in an increase in revenues both at the beginning and in the future. Whenever a company can bring about public awareness they stand to profit.
Additionally, a company can give employee moral a boost by offering stock options to employees for such things as exemplary work or length of employment. Just knowing they are now part owner of the company can do wonders for increased performance. Extended such options to business associates can also improve a company’s bottom line – imagine having a vendor now offer you a 10% discount because he is now as interested in the success of your business as his own now that he is part owner.
A degree of credibility comes from being a public company rather than a private one. A lender considering extending credit will be more agreeable when they can review financial statements that you provided to the SEC rather than those you just prepared for internal use or for them.
Whether a company goes public or not depends on any number of factors and should always be carefully considered. It doesn’t pay to jump into this step at the wrong time or do it the wrong way.