Most Chief Financial Officers realize that it's a hundred times easier to raise venture capital for a public company than a private company. There is no shortage of individuals and firms seeking to advise and coordinate the going public process for CFO’s. Here are some simple rules for finding a competent and ethical advisor that will help you with your business funding considerations.

Avoid firms that don't disclose anything about themselves or their employees. The internet is a wonderful free-tool for doing Due Diligence investigations on firms and individuals. Do an advanced search on the firm and its principals. Credit checks and background investigations are wise investments before you hire any consultant.

All equity finance consultants have two basic ways to take your company public. They can help you do an Initial Public Offering or they can suggest one of several alternative ways to go public in the USA. None of the alternative tactics include a public financing for your company. Whatever solution the prospective equity consultant advises, you should ask for an estimate of costs, time to trading and the odds of being called for trading. You should also determine how the equity finance consultant expects to make money helping your company go public.

There are alternatives to taking a company public which cost less than typical IPO’s and reverse mergers. They don't create stock that enters the float. If you are interviewing potential equity finance consultants, you should ask them for their low cost strategy and determine its odds of working for your company. You should also ascertain the ongoing investor relations costs of any public company equity strategy.

Most business finance professionals in the equity finance business have far more interest in short-term profits than long term earnings. If your purpose in going public is to give your investors a liquidity event; you’ll easily find equity finance consultants who share your myopic vision.