This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans and our objectives for future operations. The words may, will, should, could, would, expect, plan, anticipate, forecast, believe, estimate, predict, propose, intend, potential, continue, or the negative of these terms, and other similar expressions or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those discussed in Item 1A: Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in our consolidated financial statements, related notes, and the other financial information appearing elsewhere in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this report to reflect actual results or future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this Annual Report are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to us as of the date hereof. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and we caution you not to rely on these statements without also considering the risks and uncertainties associated with these statements and our business that are addressed in this Annual Report. Among the key factors that may have a direct bearing on the companys operating results are risks and uncertainties described under risk factors, including those attributable to our lack of operations and concerns about our ability to raise capital.
As used herein, VGTel, VGTL, we, our, the Company and similar terms include VGTel, Inc. and its subsidiaries, if any, unless the context indicates otherwise.
ITEM 1: BUSINESS
Overview
Our Companys mission is to become the leader in the internet sweepstakes gaming industry. VGTel seeks to develop gaming platforms, both as a distributor of software and as a supplier of hardware and equipment, by providing local operators with a suite of products and services, including point-of-sale solutions to help them attract more customers and run their operations more effectively, efficiently and more profitably.
By leveraging the Companys global relationships, we intend to distribute our products to operators based on their location and demographics throughout North America and in certain International markets. We may also distribute our products through a mobile platform, on iPhones, iPads, Blackberry, Android and Windows devices, as well as through our websites, as the markets permit.
We are a New York corporation, incorporated on February 5, 2002 under the name
Tribeka Tek, Inc.
In January 2006, we officially changed our name to VGTel, Inc. by filing an amended certificate of incorporation.
Our principal executive offices are located at 400 Rella Boulevard, Suite 174, Suffern, New York 10901, and our telephone number at this address is 360-836-0368. Our current website
www.360entertainmentandproductions.com
and our new website is currently under construction. Information contained on our website is not a part of this annual report. Our common stock is quoted on OTC Markets under the symbol VGTL.
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Our Strategy
Our primary objective is to become the industry leader in computer gaming technology. Key elements of our strategy include the following:
Acquire successful technology providers and distributors and cutting-edge software developers.
To build this business, a key part of this strategy is to develop relationships with established local and regional leaders rather than build the business organically. To drive growth, we will need to expand the number of locations within which our equipment can be installed and provide continuously updated software to our operators and end-users. Our efforts will be focused on providing operators and their end-users with a positive experience by offering engaging and stimulating games within a user-friendly platform, targeted placement of our products, high quality customer service and tools to manage operations more effectively. We also provide operators with an array of tools that they can use to run their businesses more efficiently and compete more effectively. We intend to continue to invest heavily in these efforts.
Globalize our platforms and processes.
Because our growth and expansion will be accomplished largely through acquisitions, we will probably inherit a host of different technology platforms and business processes. As we reach those milestones, we will develop a program aimed at globalizing our technology platforms and processes, and internal tools aimed at increasing our efficiency.
Grow our active customer base.
As we develop our business, we will need to add new customers at a rate which will offset the loss or inactivation of existing customers, either through regulatory changes or through changes in demographics. As we mature into a more complete business, we will have to focus more of our efforts toward retaining existing customers and expanding our geographic reach. We will do so by delivering high quality customer service and expanding the number and categories of products we offer.
Position ourselves to benefit from, and drive, technological changes that may affect consumer behavior.
As the business continues to grow, we will need to invest significantly in mobile technology in order to capitalize on the growing trend of consumers playing games on their smartphones and tablets. As our customer base matures, we believe our end-users will use mobile platforms not only as a communication and search tool, but also as a connection point for gaming.
Expand with acquisitions and business development partnerships.
We seek to build our core assets from acquisitions of local and regional businesses, to which we can then apply our expertise, resources and brand to scale the business. During 2014, our focus will be expanded to acquire businesses with technology and technology talent that can help us expand our business. We intend to continue to expand our business with acquisitions and business development partnerships.
Distribution
Our primary distribution channels will be through the businesses we acquire, either utilizing the existing sales force or by utilizing our own sales force. We also offer commissions to operators when they refer another operator to VGTel. We expect to continue to leverage affiliate relationships to extend the distribution of our platforms.
We will also use various incentive programs to build brand loyalty, generate traffic to our website and provide operators with incentives to join convert to our platform. We will also publicize our platforms through various social networks, and our notifications will be adapted to the particular format of each of these social networking platforms. Our website and future mobile applications will enable our customers to disseminate the attractiveness of our platform.
Marketing
Marketing will be an important element of our business operations. Online marketing will consist of search engine marketing, display advertisements, referral programs and affiliate marketing. Our offline marketing programs will include traditional television, billboard and radio advertisements, public relations as well as sponsored events to increase our visibility and build our brand.
Our Customers/Operators
To drive growth over the long term, we will expand the number and variety of gaming products available through our sales force. We will solicit feedback from our customers/operators to ensure their objectives are met and they are satisfied with our services.
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Operations
Our business operations will be divided into the following core functions to address the needs of our customers.
Sales Force.
The sales force will be responsible for sales inventory management, packaging, approval and delivery scheduling. As the business develops, they will use performance historical data to analyze and identify trends and opportunities for revenue improvement.
Operations.
Once a contract is signed, one of our operations representatives will initiate the first of several communications with the customer/operator to schedule delivery and introduce the customer/operator to the equipment, its operation and management system that we provide. Before the delivery is made, the representative will work with the customer/operator to ascertain that the location is suitable and ready for delivery and will train the staff in anticipation of the equipment being activated. The representative communicates with the customer/operator on the day the delivery is scheduled and again after delivery to support the customer/operator and to address any issues or questions that may arise. We will also offer several tools to help customer/operators manage their operations. These tools include status updates on performance, analytics that measure purchase traffic and demographic information of purchasers, and a return on investment calculator that estimates the return on investment that the customer/operator may receive from the equipment. Each of these tools will be accessible through an online account that is personal to the customer/operator and accessed through our website.
Customer Service.
Our customer service department will be responsible for answering questions from customers. They will process requests via phone and email. The customer service team will also work with our information technology team to improve the customer experience on the website and mobile applications based on customer feedback.
Technology.
We will employ technology to improve the experience we offer to end-users and customer/operators and enhance the efficiency of our business operations. A component of our strategy is to continue developing and refining our technology.
We will devote a substantial portion of our resources to developing new technologies and features and improving our core technologies. Our technology team will be focused on the design and development of new features and products, maintenance of our websites and development and maintenance of our internal operations systems.
Competition
A small number of competing companies are in the (estimated) over $16 billion internet sweepstakes industry in the US. As we build our business through acquisition, we will continue to compete with other outfits offering similar products and services. We believe the principal competitive factors in our market include the following:
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breadth of active customer base and customer/operator relationships;
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local focus and understanding of local business trends;
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ability to structure deals to generate positive return on investment for customer/operator; and
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strength and recognition of brand.
Although we believe we will be able to compete favorably on the factors described above, we anticipate that larger, more established companies may directly compete with us. Our potential competitors have longer operating histories, significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources and larger customer bases than we will have initially. These factors may allow our competitors to benefit from their existing customer base with lower acquisition costs or to respond more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements. These competitors may engage in more extensive research and development efforts, undertake more far-reaching marketing campaigns and adopt more aggressive pricing policies, which may allow them to build a larger subscriber base or to monetize that subscriber base more effectively than we do. Our competitors may develop products or services that are similar to our products and services or that achieve greater market acceptance than our products and services.
Regulation
The internet sweepstakes business is subject to a number of domestic (and, as we expand internationally, foreign) laws and regulations. As a company in a relatively new and rapidly innovating industry, we are exposed to the risk that many of these laws may evolve, or be interpreted by regulators or in the courts in ways that could materially affect our business. These laws and regulations may involve gaming, taxation, intellectual property, product liability, distribution, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, consumer protection, the provision of various online payment and point of sale services, employee, merchant and customer privacy and data security.
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The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (the CARD Act), as well as the laws of most states, contain provisions governing gift cards, gift certificates, stored value or pre-paid cards or coupons (gift cards). Vouchers or other forms of gaming credits may be included within the definition of gift cards under many laws. In addition, certain foreign jurisdictions have laws that govern disclosure and certain product terms and conditions, including restrictions on expiration dates and fees that may apply to vouchers or other forms of gaming credits as well as warranty requirements. There are also a number of legislative proposals pending before various state legislative bodies and foreign governments that could affect us, and our global operations may be constrained by regulatory regimes and laws in Europe and other jurisdictions outside the United States that may be more restrictive and adversely impact the development and growth of our business.
Various US laws and regulations, such as the Bank Secrecy Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the USA PATRIOT Act and the CARD Act impose certain anti-money laundering requirements on companies that are financial institutions or that provide financial products and services. These laws and regulations broadly define financial institutions to include money services businesses such as money transmitters, check cashers, and sellers or issuers of stored value. Requirements imposed on financial institutions under these laws include customer identification and verification programs, record retention policies, and procedures and transaction reporting. We do not believe that we are a financial institution subject to these laws and regulations.
Intellectual Property
We will protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. We will control access to our proprietary technology by entering into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with third parties.
In addition to these contractual arrangements, we will also rely on a combination of trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, domain names and patents to protect our intellectual property.
Circumstances outside our control could pose a threat to our intellectual property rights. For example, effective intellectual property protection may not be available in the United States or other countries in which we operate. In addition, the efforts we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be sufficient or effective. Any significant impairment of our intellectual property rights could harm our business or our ability to compete. In addition, protecting our intellectual property rights is costly and time-consuming. Any unauthorized disclosure or use of our intellectual property could make it more expensive to do business and harm our operating results.
Companies in the Internet, social media technology and other industries may own large numbers of patents, copyrights and trademarks or other intellectual property rights and may request license agreements, threaten litigation or file suit against us based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. We are currently subject to, and expect to face in the future, lawsuits and allegations that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of third parties, including our competitors and non-practicing entities. As we face increasing competition and as our business grows, we will likely face more claims of infringement, and may experience an adverse result, which could impact our business, and/or our operating results.
Employees
As of June 28, 2013, we only have one employee, our Chief Executive Officer.
Available Information
The Company electronically files reports with the SEC. The public may read and copy any materials the Company has filed with the SEC at the SECs Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Copies of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are also available free of charge through the Companys website (www.360entertainmentandproductions.com), as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing with or otherwise furnishing such information to the SEC, and are available in print to any stockholder who requests it.
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ITEM 1A: RISK FACTORS
Our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and the trading price of our common stock could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks, as well as other risks not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial. In assessing the risks described below, you should also refer to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including Part II, Item 7. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) and the consolidated financial statements and the related notes in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risks Related to Our Business
An investment in our securities is highly speculative in nature and involves an extremely high degree of risk.
Our business is difficult to evaluate because we have only begun our operations and currently have no operating history.
As we currently have only minimal operations, minimal revenues and only minimal assets, there is a risk that we will be unable to continue as a going concern and start up a viable business or consummate a business combination. We spun out our previous business that was not successful. We have only minimal operations, and no revenues or earnings from operations since the spin-off of our previous business. We have no significant assets or financial resources. We will, in all likelihood, continue to sustain operating expenses without corresponding revenues, at least until we are successful in either starting up a business or through the consummation of a business combination. This may result in our incurring a net operating loss that will increase continuously until we can start up a successful business or consummate a business combination with a profitable business opportunity. We may never be able to identify a suitable business opportunity and or consummate a business combination.
Many of our potential competitors have longer operating histories, significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources and larger customer bases than we do. These factors may allow our competitors to benefit from their existing customer base with lower customer acquisition costs or to respond more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in end-user habits. These competitors may engage in more extensive research and development efforts, undertake more far-reaching marketing campaigns and adopt more aggressive pricing policies, which may allow them to build larger customer bases or generate revenue from their customer bases more effectively than we do. Our competitors may offer deals that are similar to the deals we offer or that achieve greater market acceptance than the deals we offer. This could attract customers away from our software and equipment, reduce our market share and adversely impact our gross margin.
There is intense competition for business start-ups and private companies suitable for a merger transaction of the type we contemplate.
We are in a highly competitive market for a small number of business opportunities. A large number of established and well-financed entities, including small public companies and venture capital firms, are active in mergers and acquisitions of companies that may be desirable target candidates for us. Nearly all these entities have significantly greater financial resources, technical expertise and managerial capabilities than we do; consequently, we will be at a competitive disadvantage in identifying possible business opportunities and successfully completing a business combination. This reduces the likelihood of our consummating a successful business combination.
The growth of our business depends on the successful development and introduction of innovative new products.
Our growth depends on the success of our entry into the internet sweepstakes industry as well as the successful development and introduction of innovative new products and line extensions, which face the uncertainty of consumer acceptance and reaction from competitors. In addition, our ability to create new products and line extensions and to sustain existing products is affected by whether we can successfully:
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develop and fund innovations,
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obtain locations for our software and gaming units, and
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anticipate consumer needs and preferences.
The failure to develop and launch successful new products could hinder the growth of our business and any delay in the development or launch of a new product could result in the Company not being the first to market, which could compromise our competitive position.
Our business is subject to regulation in the U.S.
The internet sweepstakes business is subject to extensive regulation both domestically and abroad. Such regulation applies to most aspects of our software and other gaming units, including their manufacture, labeling, distribution, installation, advertising and operation. State and local level authorities regulate different aspects of our business.
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While it is our policy and practice to comply with all regulatory requirements applicable to our business, a finding that we are in violation of, or out of compliance with, applicable laws or regulations could subject us to civil remedies, including fines, damages, injunctions or criminal sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if a claim is unsuccessful, is without merit or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding such assertions regarding our products, processes or business practices could adversely affect our reputation and brand image.
In addition, new or more stringent regulations, or more restrictive interpretations of existing regulations, could have a material adverse impact on our business. For example, from time to time, various regulatory authorities in the U.S., have sought to regulate or license such gaming activities or have issued a moratorium on the opening of internet sweepstakes cafés. As two examples, the State of Ohio recently instituted a one-year moratorium on the opening of new internet sweepstakes cafes, and just this past April, the State of Florida banned internet sweepstakes cafés. Similar legislative efforts or otherwise newly enacted adverse regulations, could have a material adverse impact on our business.
A failure of a key information technology system could adversely impact the Companys ability to conduct business.
The Company relies extensively on information technology systems, including some which rely on third-party service providers, in order to conduct its business. These systems include, but are not limited to, programs and processes relating to communicating within the Company and with other parties, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, shipping products to customers and distributors, processing transactions, summarizing and reporting results of operations, complying with regulatory legal or tax requirements and other processes involved in managing the business. Although the Company has network security measures in place, the systems may be vulnerable to computer viruses, security breaches and other similar disruptions from unauthorized users. While the Company will have business continuity plans in place, if the systems are damaged or cease to function properly due to any number of causes, including the poor performance or failure of third-party service providers, catastrophic events, power outages, security breaches, network outages, failed upgrades or other similar events, and if the business continuity plans do not effectively resolve such issues on a timely basis, the Company may suffer interruptions in the ability to manage or conduct business which may adversely impact the Companys business.
The time and cost of preparing a private company to become a public reporting company may preclude us from entering into a merger or acquisition with the most attractive private companies.
Target companies that fail to comply with SEC reporting requirements may delay or preclude acquisition. Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act require reporting companies to provide certain information about significant acquisitions, including certified financial statements for the company acquired, covering one, two, or three years, depending on the relative size of the acquisition. The time and additional costs that may be incurred by some target entities to prepare these statements may significantly delay or essentially preclude consummation of an acquisition. Otherwise suitable acquisition prospects that do not have or are unable to obtain the required audited statements may be inappropriate for acquisition so long as the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act are applicable.
We may become subject to additional regulations or rules which would adversely affect our operations or ability to consummate a transaction.
Although we are subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act, we do not expect to become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act), since we do not intend to engage in the business of investing or trading in securities. If we engage in business combinations which result in our holding passive investment interests, we could be subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. If so, we would be required to register as an investment company and could be expected to incur significant registration and compliance costs.
Any potential acquisition or merger with a foreign company may subject us to additional risks.
If we enter into a business combination with a foreign concern, we will be subject to risks inherent in business operations outside of the United States. These risks include, for example, currency fluctuations, regulatory problems, punitive tariffs, unstable local tax policies, trade embargoes, risks related to shipment of raw materials and finished goods across national borders and cultural and language differences. Foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the United States economy in growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, market development, rate of savings, and capital investment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments positions, and in other respects.
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We may be subject to certain tax consequences in our business, which may increase our cost of doing business.
We may not be able to structure our acquisition to result in tax-free treatment for us or our transaction partner or their stockholders, which could deter third parties from entering into certain business combinations with us or result in being taxed on consideration received in a transaction. We intend to structure any business combination so as to minimize the federal and state tax consequences to both us and the target entity; however, we cannot guarantee that the business combination will meet the statutory requirements of a tax-free reorganization or that the parties will obtain the intended tax-free treatment upon a transfer of stock or assets. A non-qualifying reorganization could result in the imposition of both federal and state taxes that may have an adverse effect on both parties to the transaction.
Our business will have no revenues unless and until we start up a successful company or merge with or acquire an operating business.
We are a development stage company and currently have had no revenues from operations. We will not realize any revenues unless and until we successfully start up a successful business or merge with or acquire a successful operating business.
We intend to issue more shares to either recruit highly talented individuals in our management team or for a merger or acquisition, which will result in substantial dilution.
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of a maximum of 200,000,000 shares of common stock and a maximum of 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Recruitment of highly qualified management personnel suitable for a business start up or a merger or acquisition effected by us may result in the issuance of additional securities without stockholder approval and may result in substantial dilution in the percentage of our common stock held by our then existing stockholders. Moreover, the common stock issued in any merger or acquisition transaction may be valued on an arbitrary or non-arms-length basis by our management, resulting in an additional reduction in the percentage of common stock held by our then existing stockholders. Our Board of Directors has the power to issue any or all of such authorized but unissued shares without stockholder approval. To the extent that additional shares of common stock or preferred stock are issued in connection with a business start up or business combination or otherwise, dilution to the interests of our stockholders will occur and the rights of the holders of common stock might be materially and adversely affected.
Because we may seek to start up a new business or complete a business combination through a reverse merger, following such a transaction, we may not be able to attract the attention of major brokerage firms.
Additional risks may exist in starting a new business and/or if we acquire a privately held business in a reverse merger. Securities analysts of major brokerage firms may not provide coverage of us since there is no incentive to brokerage firms to recommend the purchase of our common stock. Additionally, brokerage firms may not want to conduct any secondary offerings on behalf of our post-merger company in the future.
Authorization of preferred stock.
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with designations, rights and preferences determined from time to time by its Board of Directors. Accordingly, our Board of Directors is empowered, without stockholder approval, to issue preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting, or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock. In the event of issuance, the preferred stock could be utilized, under certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control. There can be no assurance that we will not issue such preferred stock in the future.
At times, our stock is thinly traded, you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to liquidate your shares.
In the past the shares of our common stock were not traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common shares at or near ask prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven, early stage company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. Consequently, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer, which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. A broader or more active public trading market for our common shares may never develop or, if developed, be sustained, or even that current trading levels will be sustained. Due to these conditions, you may not be able to sell your shares at or near ask prices or at all. This risk may increase if more investors attempt to sell stock over a short time period.
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Broker-dealer requirements applicable to penny stocks may affect trading and liquidity.
Section 15(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 15g-2 promulgated thereunder by the SEC, require broker-dealers dealing in penny stocks, such as ours, to provide potential investors with a document disclosing the risks of penny stocks and to obtain a manually signed and dated written receipt of the document before effecting any transaction in a penny stock for the investors account. Potential investors in our common stock are urged to obtain and read such disclosure carefully before purchasing any shares that are deemed to be penny stocks. Moreover, Rule 15g-9 requires broker-dealers in penny stocks to approve the account of any investor for transactions in such stocks before selling any penny stock to that investor. This procedure requires the broker-dealer to (i) obtain from the investor information concerning his or her financial situation, investment experience and investment objectives; (ii) reasonably determine, based on that information, that transactions in penny stocks are suitable for the investor and that the investor has sufficient knowledge and experience as to be reasonably capable of evaluating the risks of penny stock transactions; (iii) provide the investor with a written statement setting forth the basis on which the broker-dealer made the determination in (ii) above; and (iv) receive a signed and dated copy of such statement from the investor, confirming that it accurately reflects the investors financial situation, investment experience and investment objectives. Compliance with these requirements may make it more difficult for holders of our common stock to resell their shares to third parties or to otherwise dispose of them in the market or otherwise.
The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prepared by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form, sets forth:
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The basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination; and
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That the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction.
Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.
Because of these regulations, broker-dealers may not wish to engage in the above-referenced necessary paperwork and disclosures and/or may encounter difficulties in their attempt to sell shares of our common stock, which may affect the ability of selling shareholders or other holders to sell their shares in any secondary market and have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in any secondary market. These additional sales practice and disclosure requirements could impede the sale of our common stock, if and when our common stock becomes publicly traded. In addition, the liquidity for our Common Stock may decrease, with a corresponding decrease in the price of our common stock.
Our common stock may be volatile, which substantially increases the risk that you may not be able to sell your shares at or above the price that you may pay for the shares.
Because of the limited trading market expected to develop for our common stock, and because of the possible price volatility, you may not be able to sell your shares of common stock when you desire to do so. The inability to sell your shares in a rapidly declining market may substantially increase your risk of loss because of such illiquidity and because the price for our common stock may suffer greater declines because of its price volatility.
Additionally, in recent years the stock market in general, and the over-the-counter markets in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. In some cases, these fluctuations are unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the underlying company. These market and industry factors may materially and adversely affect our stock price, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, class action litigation often has been brought against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of those companies common stock. If we become involved in this type of litigation in the future, it could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could have a further negative effect on your investment in our stock.
If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed from the OTC Bulletin Board, which would limit the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of shareholders to sell their securities in the secondary market.
Companies trading on the OTCQB must be reporting issuers under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and must be current in their reports under Section 13 of the Exchange Act, in order to maintain price quotation privileges on the OTCQB. This Annual Report on Form 10-K is being filed before the applicable deadline. If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed from the OTCQB. As a result, the market liquidity for our securities could be adversely affected by limiting the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of shareholders to sell their securities in the secondary market.
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We do not expect to pay dividends and investors should not buy our common stock expecting to receive dividends.
We have paid dividends on our common stock only once in the past, this past fiscal year, when we declared a 20% stock dividend to our stockholders. However, we do not anticipate that we will declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, you will only realize an economic gain on your investment in our common stock if the price appreciates. You should not purchase our common stock expecting to receive cash dividends. Since we do not anticipate paying future dividends, and there may be limited trading, then you may not have any manner to liquidate or receive any payment on your investment. Therefore, our failure to pay dividends may cause you to not see any return on your investment even if we are successful in our business operations. In addition, because we do not anticipate paying dividends in the future, we may have trouble raising additional funds that could affect our ability to expand business operations.
Provisions in our charter documents and under New York law could discourage a takeover that stockholders may consider favorable.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. These provisions include the following:
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Our board of directors has the right to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies on our board of directors.
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Our certificate of incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors. This limits the ability of minority stockholders to elect director candidates.
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Our board of directors may issue, without stockholder approval, shares of undesignated preferred stock. The ability to issue undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to acquire us.
As a New York corporation, we are also subject to certain New York anti-takeover provisions. Under New York law, a corporation may not engage in a business combination with any holder of 15% or more of its capital stock unless the holder has held the stock for three years or, among other things, the board of directors has approved the transaction. Our board of directors could rely on New York law to prevent or delay an acquisition of us.
The concentration of our capital stock ownership with our founders, executive officers and our directors and their affiliates may limit our stockholders ability to influence corporate matters.
In January 2013, the Law Offices of Bruce W. Minsky, P.C., an entity owned by Bruce Minsky, a director, was issued 855,714 shares of common stock to settle $85,571.35 for legal fees owed by the Company through May 31, 2012. See Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Results of Operations Fiscal Years Ended March 31, 2013 and March 31, 2012 Loss on settlement of debt. The loan settlement terms were based on current market conditions and on the same terms and conditions as the settlement of loans from non-affiliated parties. Mr. Minsky is the only independent member of our board of directors, under NASDAQs independence standards.
As of June 24, 2013, Peter Shafran, our CEO and a director, does not own shares of common stock in the Company.
If we start up a business or enter into a business combination, we may need to issue a substantial number of shares to newly named executive officers and other highly talented individuals to be recruited in our management team. The aggregate number of shares held by management may be in excess of 50% of our outstanding common stock. These individuals in aggregate may have significant influence over management and affairs and over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its assets, for the foreseeable future. This concentrated control limits our stockholders ability to influence corporate matters and, as a result, we may take actions that our stockholders do not view as beneficial. As a result, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected.
We may incur losses in the future as we expand our business.
We had an accumulated deficit of $5,162,320 as of March 31, 2013. We anticipate that our profitability will be impacted as we continue to invest in our growth, through increased spending in some areas and through accepting a lower percentage of the proceeds from our deals, as we attempt to place our software and equipment in the field. These efforts may prove more difficult than we currently anticipate, and we may not succeed in realizing the benefits of these efforts in a short time frame, or at all. Many of our efforts to generate revenue from our business are new and unproven, and any failure to increase our revenue could prevent us from attaining or increasing our profitability. We cannot be certain that we will be able to attain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. If we are unable to effectively manage these risks and difficulties as we encounter them, our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.
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We are subject to inventory management and order fulfillment risk.
We will have to purchase much of the equipment that we place in the field. The demand for equipment can change for a variety of reasons, including customer preference, quality, and the perceived value from operators obtaining the equipment through us. In addition, this is a new business for us, and therefore we have a limited historical basis upon which to predict demand for the products. If we are unable to adequately predict demand and efficiently manage our inventory, we could either have an excess or a shortage of inventory, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business.
Purchasing the equipment ourselves prior to its deployment also means that we will be required to fulfill orders on an efficient and cost-effective basis. Our competitors may have significantly larger inventory balances and therefore are able to rely on past experience and economies of scale to optimize their order fulfillment. Delays or inefficiencies in our processes could subject us to additional costs, as well as customer dissatisfaction, which would adversely affect our business.
The loss of one or more key members of our management team, or our failure to attract, integrate and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business.
The loss of key personnel, including key members of management as well as our marketing, sales, product development and technology personnel, could disrupt our operations and have an adverse effect on our ability to grow our business. Moreover, many members of our management will be new to our team or will have been recently promoted to new roles. As we become a more mature company, we may find our recruiting and retention efforts more challenging. If we do not succeed in attracting, hiring and integrating excellent personnel, or retaining and motivating existing personnel, we may be not be able to manage our business effectively.
We may be subject to additional unexpected regulation, which could increase our costs or otherwise harm our business.
The application of certain laws and regulations to internet sweepstakes is uncertain. In addition, from time to time, we may be notified of additional laws and regulations that governmental organizations or others may claim should be applicable to our business. If we are required to alter our business practices as a result of any laws and regulations, our revenue could decrease, our costs could increase and our business could otherwise be harmed. In addition, the costs and expenses associated with defending any actions related to such additional laws and regulations and any payments of related penalties, judgments or settlements could adversely impact our profitability. As we expand into new geographies, we will become subject to additional laws and regulations.
We may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
Our income tax obligations are based on our corporate operating structure, including the manner in which we develop, value, and use our intellectual property and the scope of our international operations. The tax laws applicable to our international business activities, including the laws of the United States and other jurisdictions, are subject to interpretation. The taxing authorities of the jurisdictions in which we operate may challenge our methodologies for valuing developed technology or intercompany arrangements, which could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our financial position and results of operations. In addition, our future income taxes could be adversely affected by greater earnings in jurisdictions that have higher statutory tax rates, by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or by changes in tax laws, regulations, or accounting principles. We are subject to regular review and audit by both U.S. federal and state and foreign tax authorities. Any adverse outcome of such a review or audit could have a negative effect on our financial position and results of operations. In addition, the determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment by management, and there are many transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe that our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.
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Government regulation of the Internet and e-commerce is evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by us to comply with these regulations could substantially harm our business and results of operations.
We are subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the Internet and e-commerce. Existing and future regulations and laws could impede the growth of the Internet or other online services. These regulations and laws may involve taxation, tariffs, subscriber privacy, anti-spam, data protection, content, copyrights, distribution, electronic contracts and other communications, consumer protection, the provision of online payment services and the characteristics and quality of services. It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, sales and other taxes, libel and personal privacy apply to the Internet as the vast majority of these laws were adopted prior to the advent of the Internet and do not contemplate or address the unique issues raised by the Internet or e-commerce. In addition, it is possible that governments of one or more countries may seek to censor content available on our websites and applications or may even attempt to completely block our emails or access to our websites. Adverse legal or regulatory developments could substantially harm our business. In particular, in the event that we are restricted, in whole or in part, from operating in one or more countries, our ability to retain or increase our customer base may be adversely affected and we may not be able to maintain or grow our revenue as anticipated.
New tax treatment of companies engaged in Internet commerce may adversely affect the commercial use of our services and our financial results.
Due to the global nature of the Internet, it is possible that various states or foreign countries might attempt to regulate our transmissions or levy sales, income or other taxes relating to our activities. Tax authorities at the international, federal, state and local levels are currently reviewing the appropriate treatment of companies engaged in Internet commerce. New or revised international, federal, state or local tax regulations may subject us or our customers to additional sales, income and other taxes. We cannot predict the effect of current attempts to impose sales, income or other taxes on commerce over the Internet. New or revised taxes and, in particular, sales taxes, VAT and similar taxes would likely increase the cost of doing business online and decrease the attractiveness of advertising and selling goods and services over the Internet. New taxes could also create significant increases in internal costs necessary to capture data, and collect and remit taxes. Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Failure to comply with federal, state and international privacy laws and regulations, or the expansion of current or the enactment of new privacy laws or regulations, could adversely affect our business.
A variety of federal, state and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, sharing and security of consumer data. The existing privacy-related laws and regulations are evolving and subject to potentially differing interpretations. In addition, various federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory bodies may expand current or enact new laws regarding privacy matters. Several Internet companies have incurred substantial penalties for failing to abide by the representations made in their privacy policies and practices. In addition, several states have adopted legislation that requires businesses to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices to protect sensitive personal information and to provide notice to consumers in the event of a security breach. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with our posted privacy policies or with any data-related consent orders, Federal Trade Commission requirements or orders or other federal, state or international privacy or consumer protection-related laws, regulations or industry self-regulatory principles could result in claims, proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others or other liabilities, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, a failure or perceived failure to comply with industry standards or with our own privacy policies and practices could result in a loss of subscribers or merchant partners and adversely affect our business. Federal, state and international governmental authorities continue to evaluate the privacy implications inherent in the use of third party web cookies for behavioral advertising. The regulation of these cookies and other current online advertising practices could adversely affect our business.
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Our business will depend on our ability to maintain and scale the network infrastructure necessary to send our emails and operate our websites and remote management systems, and any significant disruption in service on our email infrastructure, websites or systems could result in a loss of customers/operators.
Customers/operators will access our remote management systems through our websites. Our reputation and ability to acquire, retain and serve our customers/operators are dependent upon the reliable performance of our websites and the underlying network infrastructure. As the amount of information shared on our websites continue to grow, we will need an increasing amount of network capacity and computing power. We will have to spend substantial amounts on data centers and equipment and related network infrastructure to handle the traffic on our websites. The operation of these systems is expensive and complex and could result in operational failures. In the event that the amount of traffic on our websites grows more quickly than anticipated, we may be required to incur significant additional costs. Interruptions in these systems, whether due to system failures, computer viruses or physical or electronic break-ins, could affect the security or availability of our websites, and prevent our customers/operators from accessing our services. A substantial portion of our network infrastructure will be hosted by third party providers. Any disruption in these services or any failure of these providers to handle existing or increased traffic could significantly harm our business. Any financial or other difficulties these providers face may adversely affect our business, and we would have little control over these providers, which would increase our vulnerability to problems with the services they provide. If we would be unable to maintain or expand our network infrastructure successfully or if we would experience operational failures, we could lose current and potential customers/operators, which could harm our operating results and financial condition.
We may be subject to breaches of our information technology systems, which could harm our relationships with our customers/operators, subject us to negative publicity and litigation, and cause substantial harm to our business.
Our business model will require us to obtain confidential information about our customers/operators and end-users, including names, email addresses and bank account, credit card and other payment account information. Because of the amount of
information that we would store, we would be at an increased risk of attacks on our system, notwithstanding the fact that we would have invested heavily in systems to protect such information.
Like other internet-based businesses, we would use encryption and authentication technology to help provide the security and authentication to effectively secure transmission of confidential information, including credit card numbers. While these techniques are effective in maintaining confidentiality, we cannot guarantee that this would prevent all potential breaches of our system, including by means of technologies developed to bypass these securities measures. In addition, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or customers/operators to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our information or our customers/operators information.
Because the techniques used to gain access to, or sabotage, systems often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate the correct methods necessary to defend against these types of attacks. Any breach, or the perceived threat of a breach, could cause our customers/operators to cease doing business with us, subject us to lawsuits, regulatory fines or other action or liability, which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights or may be accused of infringing intellectual property rights of third parties.
As we develop our business, we would regard our customers/operators list, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technology, merchant lists, sales methodology and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we would rely on trademark, copyright and patent law, trade secret protection and confidentiality and/or license agreements with our employees and others to protect our proprietary rights. Effective intellectual property protection may not be available in every country in which our products are made available. We also may not be able to acquire or maintain appropriate domain names or trademarks in all countries in which we would do business. Furthermore, regulations governing domain names may not protect our trademarks and similar proprietary rights. We may be unable to prevent third parties from acquiring and using domain names that are similar to, infringe upon or diminish the value of our trademarks and other proprietary rights. We may be unable to prevent third parties from using and registering our trademarks, or trademarks that are similar to, or diminish the value of, our trademark in some countries.
We may not be able to discover or determine the extent of any unauthorized use of our proprietary rights. Third parties that license our intellectual property rights also may take actions that diminish the value of our proprietary rights or reputation. The protection of our intellectual property may require the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. Moreover, the steps we take to protect our intellectual property may not adequately protect our rights or prevent third parties from infringing or misappropriating our proprietary rights. We may be subject to lawsuits and disputes related to our intellectual property and service offerings. The costs of engaging in such litigation and disputes are considerable, and there can be no assurances that favorable outcomes will be obtained.
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We may expect to be subject to third party claims that we infringe on others proprietary rights or trademarks in the future. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, injunctions against us or the payment of damages by us. We may need to obtain licenses from third parties who allege that we have infringed their rights, but such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. These risks have been amplified by the increase in third parties whose sole or primary business is to assert such claims.
Our business will depend on a strong brand, and if we are not able to maintain and enhance our brand, or if we receive unfavorable media coverage, our ability to expand our base of customers and operators will be impaired and our business and operating results will be harmed.
We believe that the brand identity that we will have developed will significantly contribute to the success of our business. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing our brand will be critical to expanding our base of customers and operators. Maintaining and enhancing our brand may require us to make substantial investments and these investments may not be successful. If we fail to promote and maintain our brand, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, operating results and financial condition will be materially and adversely affected. We anticipate that, as our market becomes increasingly competitive, maintaining and enhancing our brand may become increasingly difficult and expensive. Maintaining and enhancing our brand will depend largely on our ability to be an industry leader and to continue to provide reliable, trustworthy and high quality products and services, which we may not do successfully.
The internet sweepstakes industry receives a fairly high degree of media coverage. Unfavorable publicity or public perception of our websites, practices or service offerings, could adversely affect our reputation, resulting in difficulties in recruiting, decreased revenue and a negative impact on the number of customers/operators we attract and maintain, their loyalty and the number and variety of products and services we offer. As a result, our business,
financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic investments could result in operating difficulties, dilution and other harmful consequences.
Our strategy has been based on acquiring a number of companies. We expect to continue to evaluate, consider and potentially consummate a wide array of potential strategic transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions of businesses, joint ventures, technologies, services, products and other assets and minority investments. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of any or all of our acquisitions and investments, or we may not realize them in the timeframe expected. In addition, the integration of an acquisition could divert managements time and the companys resources. If we pay for an acquisition or a minority investment in cash, it would reduce our cash available for operations or cause us to incur debt, and if we pay with our stock, it could be dilutive to our stockholders. Additionally, we may not have the ability to exert control over our joint ventures and minority investments, and therefore we would be dependent on others in order to realize their potential benefits.
We will be subject to payments-related risks.
Our business model includes our acceptance of payments primarily through ACH debits. As we offer new payment options to customers, we may be subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements and fraud. We may also be subject to requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, we may be subject to fines, and our business and operating results could be adversely affected.
We may also be subject to or voluntarily comply with a number of other laws and regulations relating to money laundering, international money transfers, privacy and information security and electronic fund transfers. If we were found to be in violation of applicable laws or regulations, we could be subject to civil and criminal penalties.
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Federal laws and regulations, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act and similar foreign laws, could be expanded to include our operations.
Various federal laws, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act and foreign laws and regulations, such as the European Directive on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing, impose certain anti-money laundering requirements on companies that are financial institutions or that provide financial products and services. For these purposes, financial institutions are broadly defined to include money services businesses such as money transmitters, check cashers and sellers or issuers of stored value cards. Examples of anti-money laundering requirements imposed on financial institutions include subscriber identification and verification programs, record retention policies and procedures and transaction reporting. We do not believe that we will be a financial institution subject to these laws and regulations based, in part, upon the characteristics of our business. However, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department tasked with implementing the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act, recently proposed amendments to the scope and requirements for parties involved in stored value or prepaid access cards, including a proposed expansion of financial institutions to include sellers or issuers of prepaid access cards. In the event that this proposal is adopted as proposed, it is possible that our company could be considered a financial institution. In the event that we become subject to the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act or any other anti-money laundering law or regulation imposing obligations on us as a money services business, our regulatory compliance costs to meet these obligations would likely increase which could reduce our net income.
We will continue to incur significant costs as a result of being a public company.
We face increased legal, accounting, administrative and other costs and expenses as a public company that we would not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including the requirements of Section 404, as well as new rules and regulations subsequently implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the exchange on which our common stock is quoted, impose additional reporting and other obligations on public companies. Compliance with these public company requirements increases our costs and makes some activities more time-consuming. In connection with the preparation of our financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2012, our independent registered accounting firm identified a material weakness because of certain deficiencies involving internal controls. The material weakness identified did not result in the restatement of any previously reported financial statements or any other related financial disclosures, nor does management believe that it had any effect on the accuracy of our financial statements for that reporting period. The existence of this issue could adversely affect us, our reputation or investor perceptions of us. It also may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. Advocacy efforts by stockholders and third parties may also prompt even more changes in corporate governance and reporting requirements. The additional reporting and other obligations imposed on us by these rules and regulations have increased our legal and financial compliance costs and the costs of our related legal, accounting and administrative activities significantly. These increased costs require us to divert a significant amount of money that we could otherwise use to expand our business and achieve our strategic objectives.
Our ability to raise capital in the future may be limited, and our failure to raise capital when needed could prevent us from growing.
We may in the future be required to raise capital through public or private financing or other arrangements. Such financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all, and our failure to raise capital when needed could harm our business. Additional equity financing may dilute the interests of our common stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants and could reduce our profitability. If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, we may not be able to grow our business or respond to competitive pressures.
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Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock is highly volatile
Our common stock began trading on the OTCQB Market on February 14, 2011 and since that date has fluctuated from a high of $14.00 per share to a low of $.15 per share. We expect that the trading price of our stock will continue to be volatile due to variations in our operating results and also may change in response to other factors, including factors specific to technology companies, many of which are beyond our control. Among the factors that could affect our stock price are:
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our earnings announcements, including any financial projections that we may choose to provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure for any reason to meet these projections or projections made by research analysts;
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the amount of shares of our common stock that are available for sale;
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the relative success of competitive products or services;
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the publics response to press releases or other public announcements by us or others, including our filings with the SEC and announcements relating to litigation;
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speculation about our business in the press or the investment community;
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future sales of our common stock by our significant stockholders, officers and directors;
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changes in our capital structure, such as future issuances of debt or equity securities;
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our entry into new markets;
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regulatory developments in the United States or foreign countries;
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strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, joint ventures or restructuring; and
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changes in accounting principles.
We expect the stock price volatility to continue for the foreseeable future as a result of these and other factors.