Small
Business IPO -- It Is Cheaper, and Easier, Than You Ever Thought Possible
Small
business IPOs are the specialty of the AIM Program in London.
That foggy London town is beckoning more and more small
business IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) from the U.S., and elsewhere.
US IPOs carry a certain mystique. They also
carry a lot of baggage, namely very high cost and tons of legalese.
Wading through the morass of paper can challenge even the most
even-tempered business person.
Smaller companies might do well to look
over the pond. At London.
The London Stock Exchange's program is called Alternative Investment Market (AIM).
AIM was founded in 1995, and has raised about $42 billion -- 61% of that at the inception of IPOs. AIM operates much like the NYSE, but is geared to smaller companies.
Can companies outside of England take
advantage of AIM? You bet they can! AIM presently represents about 1400 companies, with 29 of them based in the U.S.
Doing a small business IPO via AIM is considerably less expensive than doing one via NYSE. British regulation is very pro-IPO. And the chances of being sued in England are far less.
What more could an IPO want?
AIM handled more than 400 IPOs, compared with about 150 on NYSE.
It may not be the right alternative for all companies, but it is something well worth considering for many small ventures.
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