How Private and Public Companies Differ
To the outside observer, it may be difficult to discern whether a company is public or private unless it’s one of the publicly traded giants like Amazon or Walmart. The differences relate primarily to ownership, where the funding comes from, the regulations that must be followed and the level of scrutiny the company will be under. The typical transition is from a private company to a public one. Transitioning a company in the other direction is also possible, although it happens less frequently. The following are characteristics of public and private companies.