The lure of initial public offerings (IPOs) can be tempting and an exciting time. Businesses can benefit from the increased capital, market exposure, and growth potential, but there are risks. Companies lose their privacy when they go "public". On the other hand, taking businesses private can save money but can decrease the capital that a business needs. Before going public or private, businesses should weigh the pros and cons thoroughly.

Merging with and acquiring other entities is often a smart strategy to access new markets, expand product lines, and capitalize on cumulative resources. But, a deal that looks good on paper does not always translate well in reality. A lot of M&A deals have floundered post-closing because of misplaced focus or unrealistic expectations. Granted, no one can ever be sure whether the merger will succeed after things are all said and done, but there are some important items to consider before moving forward. In many cases, it is the seller who comes out on top, as they usually reap the financial rewards without having to deal with much of the aftermath. Here is a down and dirty framework for assessing a prospective merger or acquisition:

Moving sensitive business information online from its paper form just got easier. SecureDocs, a virtual data room used by companies across the world to securely store and share critical business documentation, has announced an integration with Fujitsu ScanSnap through the ScanSnap Cloud. This partnership makes it easy for SecureDocs users to quickly move hard copy signature documents, and others documents of importance, into SecureDocs utilizing a Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner.

Merging with another company is a great business accomplishment and a momentous event, which means that it's highly important for you to do it the correct way. There are countless types of mergers--horizontal, vertical, conglomerate, and concentric, just to name a few--so you need to be familiar with the appropriate terms and concepts well in advance.

This article will discuss three different types of mergers: forward, forward triangular and reverse triangular. By learning the key differences and advantages of each one, you'll be able to decide for yourself which option is right for your organization.

For many companies, undergoing an audit and/or financial due diligence will likely be an inescapable reality at some point in their existence, and the idea of undergoing either arduous process is no doubt rather daunting. Granted, they are quite different processes, but they both involve fairly substantial scrutiny of a company’s finances. This can obviously shed a lot of light on how a company is doing, but it can also bring up some unexpected issues and may force a company to have to make some pretty tough decisions. Here is a brief rundown on the primary differences between an audit and financial due diligence:

For startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners, the future looks bright indeed. According to the Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship, U.S. entrepreneurial activity has continued to increase for the past three years since 2014, rebounding from the slump of the Great Recession. What's more, 2017 broke records for the most venture capital invested in a single year worldwide.

We're finally getting settled into the new year (and getting used to seeing an 8 at the end of today's date instead of a 7). But it's always a good time to make some predictions about what lies ahead in the coming months. In particular, it's especially important to pay attention to the venture capital industry, which can reveal a great deal of insight about the state of the startup landscape.

For most entrepreneurs, the ultimate goal and often a clear sign of success is taking a private company public by virtue of an initial public offering, usually referred to by its acronym IPO. This seemingly simple transition, which involves the public sale of the company’s stock on an open exchange, has gotten increasingly complicated over the years due to frequently changing regulations. These days, public companies must pass stricter scrutiny given that the sale of stock on the public exchange allows a company to increase its access to capital as well as its liquidity, but does so at the potential risk and expense of what are generally conceived of as more average investors. With venture capital and private equity, there are less onerous expectations given that the firms and individuals involved in those types of investments tend to be of higher net worths and able to take on more risk. In light of the complexity and expense associated with taking a company public, here are four ways to prepare:

Before even considering a pitch to prospective investors, company leaders must have a strong sense of how their company is faring including its anticipated trajectory. The numbers must be crunched and the data meticulously analyzed to ensure that those involved in the pitch presentation can speak intelligently on operational and financial matters. The pitch deck must be prepared well in advance and polished to near perfection, and any potential questions or concerns should be considered and discussed beforehand to avoid mid-pitch flubs. Investors will be interested in understanding a company’s goals and vision, how it intends to use the funds it is seeking, and particularly keen to gather information relating to performance. Here are five key performance indicators to master before making that pitch:

The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the goals and strategy of a company. The board does this by hiring a Chief Executive Officer and perhaps some of the other C-level executives, and by establishing the high level objectives of the company. The management team then executes or manages that strategy by handling the day-to-day operations. Of course, overseeing business strategy includes wide-ranging duties and obligations, with some boards taking a more active role in their companies’ operations than others. In addition, the scope or nature of a decision or transaction often affects whether and to what extent the board will be involved. High risk, high value transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), clearly require extensive involvement from the board. Here is the role most boards will play during M&A: