Going public

Going public – floating your company’s shares on a stock market – can allow a company to raise additional equity finance or provide an exit for existing investors. Going public also provides a market value for trading shares in the company. This makes it easier to use company shares to fund an acquisition or as an incentive for employees.

A company float usually only suits companies with good growth prospects and a strong management team. Going public, and continuing to be a public company, involves substantial effort and costs together with an increased regulatory burden and public scrutiny. Before deciding on a company float, it’s worth reviewing whether another option such as a trade sale is a better option.

The stock markets

For UK companies, there are three principal choices of market. The PLUS market (previously known as OFEX) tends to suit smaller businesses worth up to £20 million. Larger businesses may prefer the AIM market. Only the largest companies tend to be quoted on the London Stock Exchange Main Market.

In legal terms, companies on either PLUS or AIM are ‘unquoted’, which can offer significant tax advantages for private investors. For example, shares in a family business can be traded on PLUS but still benefit from inheritance tax (IHT) relief.

PLUS offers the smallest pool of potential investors and a relatively low profile compared to AIM and the Main Market. But costs and regulatory requirements are higher for AIM than for PLUS, and substantially higher for the Main Market. Even on PLUS, the costs of going public typically start at around £100,000 with continuing annual costs of £30,000 or more.

Preparing for your company float

You must appoint a PLUS corporate adviser if you want to float your company on the PLUS market. Similar requirements exist for an AIM nominated adviser (Nomad) or a Main Market sponsor. Your corporate adviser manages the float process and provides continuing advice on meeting market requirements. Some corporate advisers also act as stockbrokers, helping you raise funds during the float.

You also need a lawyer, an accountant and a registrar who handles applications for shares and the share register. You may also want to appoint a PR adviser to help raise your profile with investors and manage investor relations. As with your corporate adviser, you should look for advisers with relevant experience. Make sure you have a clear agreement on what services will be provided and what the fees will be.

As with other forms of fundraising, your company needs to have a clear business plan and a strong management team. As part of the process, your advisers will help prepare key information and up to date accounts. All the key information about your company and the float is brought together in a prospectus.

Making an initial public offering

You can go public without raising any new financing, a process called an introduction. But if the company wants to raise funds, you need to organise an initial public offering (IPO). You either offer shares to a selected group of investors (a private placement) or to the investing public at large (an offer for sale).

Your corporate adviser helps you establish the right price for your company IPO. This is typically based on expected future earnings. Smaller companies are generally less highly valued, though companies with exciting prospects can attract a premium rating.