Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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. Telco of Canada, Inc., Velocity Local Inc., Modern Everyday, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Modern Everyday, LLC and Super Nova, LLC, Live Goods, LLC and its wholly owned subsidiaries, DealTicker, Inc. and DA Stores, LLC. The results of operations for DA Stores, LLC,, DealTicker, Inc. and Modern Everyday, Inc. have only been included since the date of acquisition of March 7, 2014, May 5, 2014 and August 24, 2014, respectively. 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, long term loans, 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 FDIC-insured limits. At September 30, 2014, the amount the Company had on deposit that exceeded the FDIC-insured limits was $7,508,924.

 

Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment, which consists of office equipment, computer equipment, and furniture and fixtures, 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 $48,278 and $29,357 for the years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, 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.

 

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.

 

Product Revenue

 

The Company derives product revenue primarily from direct revenue and fulfillment partner revenue from product sales Product revenue is recognized when the following revenue recognition criteria are met: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has occurred or the service has been provided; (3) the selling price or fee revenue earned is fixed or determinable; and (4) collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. Revenue related to product sales is recognized when the above four criteria are met.

 

The Company evaluates the criteria outlined in ASC Topic 605-45, Principal Agent Considerations, in determining whether it is appropriate to record the gross amount of product sales and related costs or the net amount earned as commissions. When the Company is the primary obligor in a transaction, are subject to inventory risk, have latitude in establishing prices and selecting suppliers, or have several but not all of these indicators, revenue is recorded gross. If we are not the primary obligor in the transaction and amounts earned are determined using a fixed percentage, revenue is recorded on a net basis. Currently, all direct revenue and fulfillment partner revenue is recorded on a gross basis, as the Company is the primary obligor. The Company presents revenue net of sales taxes.

Inventory

Inventory is valued at the lower of the inventory’s cost (first in, first out basis) or the current market price of the inventory. Management compares the cost of inventory with its market value and an allowance is made to write down inventory to market value, if lower. All inventory at September 30, 2014 consists of finished goods inventory. At September 30, 2014, the allowance for obsolete inventory was $252,569.

 

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 92.3% of gross accounts receivable at September 30, 2014 as compared to 82.9% of gross accounts receivable at September 30, 2013. 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.

 

As of September 30, 2014 and 2013, approximately 76% and 57%, respectively, of the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts is 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 increases to 23% and 68%, respectively.

 

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.

 

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”.

 

Long-lived Assets

 

The Company assesses long-lived assets, including intangible assets, for impairment in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC 360 “Property, Plant and Equipment”. A long-lived asset (or group of assets) 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. The Company follows ASC Topic 350 in accounting for intangible assets, which requires impairment losses to be recorded when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by the assets are less than the assets’ carrying amounts. There were no impairment losses recorded on intangible assets for the years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013.

 

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the underlying net assets of businesses acquired. Under accounting requirements, goodwill is not amortized but is subject to annual impairment tests. As of September 30, 2014, the Company performed the required impairment review which resulted in no impairment adjustments.

 

Segment Reporting

 

ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting,” requires use of the “management approach” model for segment reporting. The management approach model is based on the way a company’s management organizes segments within the company for making operating decisions and assessing performance.  The Company determined it has two reportable segments (See Note 18).

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

The Company evaluates all of its agreements to determine if such instruments have derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the consolidated statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company uses a weighted average Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative instrument liabilities are classified in the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the derivative instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date. As of September 30, 2014, the Company’s only derivative financial instrument was a convertible note due to the “reset” and “dilutive issuance” clause in the note relating to the conversion price from dilutive share issuance. See Note 6.

 

Fair Value Measurements

ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” requires disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments held by the Company. ASC Topic 825, “Financial Instruments,” defines fair value, and establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures of fair value measurement that enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measures. The three levels of valuation hierarchy are defined as follows:

 

· Level 1 inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

 

· Level 2 inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

 

· Level 3 inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

 

At September 30, 2014, the Company’s derivative instruments were reported at fair value using Level 2 inputs as discussed in Note 6. Also, the Company has a purchase price contingency that is discussed in Note 14.

 

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the previously reported net income or stockholders’ equity.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-08

 

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant and Equipment (Topic 360)."  ASU 2014-08 amends the requirements for reporting discontinued operations and requires additional disclosures about discontinued operations.  Under the new guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations or that have a major effect on the Company's operations and financial results should be presented as discontinued operations.  This new accounting guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2014-08 on the Company's results of consolidated operations or consolidated financial condition.

  

FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (ASU 2014-09), which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods therein, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the pending adoption of ASU 2014-09 on its consolidated financial statements and has not yet determined the method by which it will adopt the standard beginning January 1, 2017.

 

Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB, including its Emerging Issues Task Force, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the Company's present or future consolidated financial statements.