Polished message key to pre- and post-IPO success.

A year ago, nearly every company with a Web site seemed to be preparing to go public. Many did, whether they were ready or not. Today, the stream of initial public offerings has frozen solid.

While we may never again see quite the same IPO gold rush, the flow of public offerings will inevitably return. And being well prepared for the demands and risks of going public will be more important.

An IPO presents a time-consuming and intense set of challenges to a company's management and financial advisers. Typically, from the time a company decides to engage in an IPO, the process: takes about a year to fully execute. This complex and unpredictable journey is difficult to understand for those who have not lived through the process. If your company is contemplating an IPO in the next eighteen months, here are some of the key factors to consider:

* Is the business model ready for the journey?

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