Your company is growing, your story is exciting and you think the public market would love to invest. You hear that public companies in your industry have market capitalizations far in excess of their private competitors. Is it time to go public?

An IPO sounds like a great idea, but can you attract a quality underwriter who is trustworthy and efficient? Are you willing to risk upwards of seven figures in fees only to discover your IPO won't sell? Can you remain patient for six to nine months negotiating with accountants, attorneys and underwriters over valuations or responding to SEC comments?

Raising capital in stages may be a better solution for you. Or, perhaps you have financing already lined up and want to provide your investors a liquidity vehicle.

Maybe you just need the currency of publicly held stock to make acquisitions or attract key employees.

Or perhaps you are attracted by the idea of being publicly held and seeing your net worth skyrocket.

Regardless of your motives, you may wish to consider a reverse merger or acquisition of an existing public corporation. It's fast, less expensive and less complex than an IPO.