The first time a private company offers its shares to investors is called an initial public offering (IPO). It starts with a public equity offering, which is the sale of shares of your business to the public. This type of offering is usually handled by an experienced investment banking firm licensed by the Securities & Exchange Commission for the underwriting and disposal of those shares.

Argus Stockbrokers Ltd can consult you for pursuing an IPO. This enables you to carefully consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of taking your company public:

Advantages:

An IPO can help your company:

Raise capital for growth, research and development; to build or expand facilities; to diversify operations; to retire debt, etc.

Create personal liquidity for owners - increase public awareness and prestige of your company

Improve net worth by enabling you to borrow on more favorable terms

Provide attractive incentives for employees, such as stock options

Disadvantages:

Keep in mind, however, that going public:

Requires public disclosure of financial and operational information

Often results in loss of autonomy in management decisions

Can have substantial costs, including accounting and legal fees and expenses associated with shareholder relations

ARGUS services are limited to consulting on capital structure, drafting of prospectus and other business activity related to IPO, and shall not include underwriting or disposal of IPO shares.

Is your company eligible for IPO?

1. Acquisitions Targets / Strategic Acquirers

Help companies willing to buy or sell part or all of their business to find the most appropriate strategic acquirer that creates the highest synergies and post acquisition results. We search for acquisition targets that meet the specific criteria set by the acquirer that provide the best post acquisition results.

2. Evaluating Proposals

After carefully analyzing your needs and valuing the merger or acquisition candidates, select the proposal that best meets your needs and has the highest probability of closing.

3. Structuring and Negotiating the Terms and Conditions of the Agreement

The investment banking firm you select can structure the details of the agreement and manage all negotiations with prospective partners to ensure a fair and competitive process.

4. Closing the Deal

When an agreement is reached, the final step of the merger of acquisition process is completing the details of the transaction with your legal and tax advisors. These tasks can be quite time-consuming and involve the anticipation of problems and sensitive management of details.

ARGUS Investment Banking Professionals have extensive experience in evaluating acquisition candidates and executing acquisitions on behalf of our clients in addition to advising clients who are divesting or selling part or all of their company. Our merger and acquisition professionals execute plans with a high level of expertise and efficiency. Their experience and dedication ensure a streamlined process that minimizes our clients' time involvement. We are committed to guiding our clients to a successful transaction for the sale or merger of their company or acquisition of another company.

As a business owner, selling your company is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Your choices will affect your company's growth, strength, employees, competitors and future as well as your own standing. Due to these far-reaching consequences, you will first want to think carefully about the many issues involved with selling a business.

Why consider the sale of your company?

While the most obvious reason to consider a partial or complete sale of your business may be to gain liquidity, other objectives may include to:

• Plan for managerial succession
• Gain access to the acquiring company's technology
• Plan for your retirement or create a plan for your estate

Relevant questions when selling your business:

• What result do your want? A lump sum of cash? An income stream? Both?
• To whom do you want to sell to raise capital? An independent buyer? Employees or key managers?
• How do you want to structure the sale? All of your business? Some of your business? Stock, assets or both?
• How quickly do you want to complete the sale? Do you want to retain some interest for a period of time? Do you want to sever all ties as quickly as possible?

The Sale Process

While each sale process is unique, the following table identifies the key steps typically involved in selling a business:

STEP	RESULT
Conduct analysis and due diligence	Draft offering memorandum
Develop a marketing strategy	Draft a list of potential buyers. Contact potential buyers
Receive expressions of interest; evaluate proposals	Select qualified buyer(s)
Invite qualified buyer(s) to conduct detailed due diligence	Formal offer(s)
Negotiate the transaction	Definitive agreement and closing

Get the guidance you need

Selling your business can be a complex undertaking. You will want to build a team of trusted and experienced tax, legal and investment advisors. ARGUS can bring broad experience and expert, objective guidance to the sale process and tailor a strategy to meet your company's unique needs.

 

Regardless of your strategic objectives, at some time you may require or seek objective guidance from experienced financial professionals not affiliated with your company. A respected Cyprus Investment banking Firm, such as ARGUS, can offer a variety of financial advisory services, including:

• Valuation studies if your company is involved in a merger, acquisition or divestiture; or if your company is issuing securities in connection with a restructuring.
• Professional opinions regarding whether a proposed transaction is fair from the viewpoint of the selling or acquiring entity's shareholders as well as other parties to the transaction.
• Help in analyzing your company's needs for capital and determining whether you can best meet these needs through debt, equity or a combination of them like hybrid securities.
• Help in selecting appropriate financing vehicles and identifying the most advantageous timing to complete a transaction.
• Counseling on such matters as divestitures, anti-takeover provisions, dividend and stock-split policies or stock exchange listing procedures.
• Assistance in establishing stock ownership or stock redemption plans.

ARUGS has experience in providing valuations, fairness opinions and a full range of financial advisory services. We are committed to providing these services with the highest level of confidentiality and keeping your company's success our primary focus.

Business Plans

We can assist you in the development of your business plan in a way to add value in your future company prospects. Business plans can be used for:

• Expanding your business
• Start-up business
• Capital injection requirement
• Obtain financing

Feasibility Studies

We can assist you to develop your feasibility plan in a way to appraise whether the proposed investment is financially feasible. Feasibility Studies can be used for:

• Expanding your business
• Start-up business
• Investment in new machinery/equipment
• Replacement of fixed assets
• Building your own factory/offices
• Introducing a new product line
• Evaluating new ideas
  

Our Investment Professionals and Business Consultants can assist you in the Due Diligence process in the following areas:

• Due Diligence of an Acquisition Target.
• Due Diligence of the Bidding Party / Strategic Acquirer.
• Due Diligence for a Strategic Alliance.
• Key Management Due Diligence.
• Financial Due Diligence.
• Trade Debtors / Creditors Due Diligence.

ARGUS provides investment advisory services since 2007, while the members of the management team have been providing such services for a period greater than 15 years. Historically, ARGUS has advised most of the large institutional clients based in Cyprus for matters related to cash management and allocation, implementation of investment strategy, advice for bonds, equities, mutual fund selection and structured products analysis.