Annual report pursuant to section 13 and 15(d)

Note 2: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Note 2: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements represent the consolidated financial position and results of operations of the Company and include the accounts and results of operations of the Company, LiveDeal, Local Marketing Experts, Inc., Velocity Marketing Concepts, Inc., 247 Marketing Inc., Telco Billing, Inc. and Telco of Canada, Inc., the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, for the years ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, as applicable. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

 
 

 

Significant estimates made in connection with the accompanying consolidated financial statements include the estimate of dilution and fees associated with LEC billings, the estimated reserve for doubtful accounts receivable, estimated forfeiture rates for stock-based compensation, fair values in connection with the analysis of goodwill and long-lived assets for impairment, valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets and estimated useful lives for intangible assets and property and equipment.

Financial Instruments

Financial instruments consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, advances to affiliates and obligations under accounts payable, accrued expenses and notes payable. The carrying amounts of cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and notes payable approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

This includes all short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less. At times, cash deposits may exceed government-insured limits.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from three to five years. Depreciation expense was $132,899 and $214,796 for the years ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

Directory Services

 

Revenue is billed and recognized monthly for services subscribed in that specific month. The Company has historically utilized outside billing companies to perform billing services through two primary channels:

 

  · direct ACH withdrawals; and
     
  · inclusion on the customer’s local telephone bill provided by their Local Exchange Carriers, or LECs.

 

For billings via ACH withdrawals, revenue is recognized when such billings are accepted. For billings via LECs, the Company recognizes revenue based on net billings accepted by the LECs. Due to the periods of time for which adjustments may be reported by the LECs and the billing companies, the Company estimates and accrues for dilution and fees reported subsequent to year-end for initial billings related to services provided for periods within the fiscal year. Such dilution and fees are reported in cost of services in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Customer refunds are recorded as an offset to gross revenue.

 

Revenue for billings to certain customers that are billed directly by the Company and not through the outside billing companies is recognized based on estimated future collections. The Company continuously reviews this estimate for reasonableness based on its collection experience.

 

Direct Sales

 

The Company’s direct sales contracts typically involve upfront billing for an initial payment followed by monthly billings over the contractual period. The Company recognizes revenue on a straight line basis over the contractual period. Billings in excess of recognized revenue are included as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. This service line has been discontinued. 

 

Deals Revenue

 

The Company recognizes revenue from its sales through its strategic publishing partners of discounted goods and services offered by its merchant clients (“Deals”) when the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; delivery has occurred; the selling price is fixed or determinable; and collectability is reasonably assured. These criteria are met when the number of customers who purchase the daily deal exceeds the predetermined threshold, where, if applicable, the Deal has been electronically delivered to the purchaser and a listing of Deals sold has been made available to the merchant. At that time, the Company's obligations to the merchant, for which it is serving as an agent, are substantially complete. The Company's remaining obligations, which are limited to remitting payment to the merchant, are inconsequential or perfunctory. The Company records as revenue an amount equal to the net amount it retains from the sale of Deals after paying an agreed upon percentage of the purchase price to the featured merchant excluding any applicable taxes. Revenue is recorded on a net basis because the Company is acting as an agent of the merchant in the transaction.

 

Deferred Revenue

 

In some instances, the Company receives payments in advance of rendering services, whereupon such revenues are deferred until the related services are rendered. Deferred revenue was $2,310 and $14,553 at September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts, which includes allowances for customer refunds, dilution and fees from LEC billing aggregators and other uncollectible accounts. The Company has increased its allowances for doubtful accounts to 65.7% of gross accounts receivable at September 30, 2012 as compared to 61.3% of gross accounts receivable at September 30, 2011. The determination of the allowance for doubtful accounts is dependent on many factors, including regulatory activity, changes in fee schedules by LEC service providers and recent historical trends.

 

Approximately 93% of the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts is an allowance against accounts receivable balances and reserves held by a LEC that is in bankruptcy and an allowance against an outstanding receivable balance that is in dispute. After excluding these reserves from the related accounts receivable balances, the allowance for doubtful accounts as a percentage of gross accounts receivable decreases to 12.6%. See note 12 for Concentration of Credit Risk.

Legal Costs

The Company expenses legal costs associated with loss contingencies as they are incurred.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which these temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance would be provided for those deferred tax assets for which if it is more likely than not that the related benefit will not be realized. The Company classifies tax-related penalties and interest as a component of income tax expense for financial statement presentation.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company from time to time grants restricted stock awards and options to employees and executives. Such awards are valued based on the grant date fair-value of the instruments, net of estimated forfeitures. The value of each award is amortized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. 

 
 

 

The Company accounts for grants of restricted stock awards issued to non-employees in accordance with the provisions of FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation” and FASB ASC 505, “Equity”, and accordingly, stock awards to non-employees are accounted for at fair value at their respective measurement date.

Net Loss Per Share

Net loss per share is calculated in accordance with FASB ASC 260, “Earnings Per Share”. Under ASC 260 basic net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period except that it does not include unvested restricted stock subject to cancellation. Diluted net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares and, if dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares consist of the incremental common shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants, restricted shares and convertible preferred stock. The dilutive effect of outstanding restricted shares and warrants is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the treasury stock method. Convertible preferred stock is reflected on an if-converted basis.

Internally Developed Software and Website Development Costs

The Company incurs internal and external costs to develop software and websites to support its core business functions. The Company capitalizes internally generated software and website development costs in accordance with the provisions of the FASB ASC 350, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other”.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

The Company assesses long-lived assets for impairment in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC 360 “Property, Plant and Equipment”. A long-lived asset (asset group) shall be tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of a long lived asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted net cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. The amount of impairment loss, if any, is measured as the difference between the net book value of the asset and its estimated fair value. For purposes of these tests, long-lived assets must be grouped with other assets and liabilities for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. During the 2011 second fiscal quarter, $367,588 in net intangible assets were written off which were previously used in the discontinued Direct Sales business. A further evaluation was conducted in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 due to continued operating losses, however, it was determined that no further impairment existed at that time. In 2012, due to improved financial results, there were no changes in events or circumstances which would indicate carrying amounts would not be recoverable.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-28, When to Perform Step 2 of the Goodwill Impairment Test for Reporting Units with Zero or Negative Carrying Amounts (Topic 350)—Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (ASU2010-28). ASU 2010-28 amends the criteria for performing Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts and requires performing Step 2 if qualitative factors indicate that it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. The Company adopted ASU 2010-28 in fiscal 2012 and this adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. 

 
 

 

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements (“ASU 2011-04”) in GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). Under ASU 2011-04, the guidance amends certain accounting and disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements to ensure that fair value has the same meaning in GAAP and in IFRS and that their respective fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are the same. ASU 2011-04 is effective for public entities during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption by public entities is not permitted. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the financial statements.

 

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2011-05”). ASU 2011-05 requires companies to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The provisions of ASU 2011-05 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Since ASU 2011-05 only amends the disclosure requirements concerning comprehensive income, the adoption of ASU 2011-05 did not affect the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

 

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, “Testing Goodwill for Impairment” (“ASU 2011-08”). ASU 2011-08 allows a company to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. The more likely than not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. The provisions of ASU 2011-08 are effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 with early adoption permitted. The adoption of the provisions of ASU 2011-08 did not have an effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.