Registering Your Initial Public Offering with the SEC

Part 2: additional information. This will include information not listed in the prospectus, including expenses of issuance and distribution, indemnification of directors and officers,

recent sales of unregistered securities, and other information. While you don't need to make this information available to prospective investors, determined individuals will be able to find it in the EDGAR database on the SEC Web site.

Luckily the SEC makes it relatively easy for you to file your registration statement: their Form S-1 [PDF format] sets out all the information you must submit to begin the registration process.

You can also complete the entire registration process online, with the SEC's EDGAR system. While filing online with EDGAR may be convenient, it is far from simple. Your best bet is to download the EDGAR manual in Microsoft Word format. The manual describes, in mind-numbing detail, exactly how to submit your registration "paperwork" via EDGAR.