How to Get My Business Publicly Traded

  1. 1.

    Determine whether you need to register your company’s securities with the SEC. Although most companies must register, the SEC provides a few exceptions to the registration requirements for small companies making private offerings to specific individuals, companies offering securities only to local, state and federal agencies and governments and companies offering only in-state sales of their securities.

  2. 2.

    Register your company’s common stock and securities with the SEC by filing a Form S-1 if you do not qualify for an exception to the registration rules. Obtain the initial registration forms from the SEC. After you register your securities, your registration statements become public information available on the federal EDGAR database.

  3. 3.

    Register your company using Form SB-1 if your company meets the SEC’s small business issuer rules. Small business owners may simplify their registration process if their profits were less than $25 million during the previous year.

  4. 4.

    File proxy materials and solicitations with the SEC. Your proxy information must include voting requirements and shareholder solicitation rules.

  5. 5.

    Review the SEC’s tender offer requirements. If you are seeking to sell more than 5 percent of your company directly to an individual, you must comply with the SEC’s tender offer disclosure requirements.

  6. 6.

    Review the SEC’s final prospectus requirements. You must sell your stock using a final prospectus. A final prospectus provides the public with information regarding your initial offering, including your company’s financial information.

  7. 7.

    Set a date to issue your initial public offering. This is the first time your company will sell its common stock to public investors.