Fundamental believes private companies whose short-term future (six to 18 months) includes an IPO should begin acting like public companies well in advance of the road show. By adhering to "best practices" in investor communications and familiarizing management with the rigors of public company reporting, private companies will avoid many of the mistakes that befall companies during the IPO and in the months following the road show. This post road show period, in particular, is the time when many companies lose both stock marketing momentum and credibility, both of which are difficult to regain.

Fundamental's pre-IPO marketing campaign includes a variety of programming elements, including:

• corporate positioning
• regular reporting to private investors
• financial media relations to build the company's profile
• visual asset gathering
• tutorials for management and employees on topics such as "what the Street expects from public companies," "how to manage relationships with the investment community", "a practical guide to financial reporting and investor communications", "insider trading", and "the benefits of share ownership"
• investor website development (to ensure website is investor centric)

Depending on the circumstance, Fundamental can also advise on the creation of an internal IR department, budgeting and personnel recruitment.