What does a private company look like?
Advantages: Privacy and significant controlNegatives: Lack of access to greater forms of capital If you choose to set up a private company and become a director, you are permitted to own or have control over a majority of the shares. Unlike their public company cousin, there is no ‘marketplace’ for these shares, meaning they are not available to be bought by members of the public. So a private company is just that, a private concern. Private companies are not as beholden to regulatory practices as much as public companies are. For example, they do not need to hold annual general meetings?(AGMs). All they need to do is produce a signed written resolution, stating that it isn’t necessary to hold the meeting.
What does a public company look like?

Negatives: Increased scrutiny, lack of privacy ? and increased obligation to legislation Businesses that are experiencing growth may decide to re-register as a public company. This is because it gives them the chance to release their shares to the public, enabling them to access wider forms of capital than if they stayed private. However, deciding to do this means businesses will face stricter operational rules and increased scrutiny. This means less privacy for you, in terms of how you run your business. Companies choosing to ‘go public’ will have to obey stricter laws, such as the Companies Act 2006 as well as the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.?Because these are obligations enshrined by law, breaking these will make your business an illegal concern. Going public also releases your company shares on The London Stock Exchange. There will, inevitably, be additional rules that come with using this platform too. Publically listed companies are also obliged to inform the public about changes that occur within the company ? and this can make some business owners nervous. However, the ‘public life’ isn’t for everyone, even massively successful companies, such as Boots, has remained a private company in order to maintain the privacy of its internal functions. They re-registered themselves as a private company following their merger with Alliance Unichem in 2006.
It’s crunch time

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