ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

In addition to the information set forth at the beginning of Management’s Discussion and Analysis entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information”, investors should consider that there are numerous and varied risks, known and unknown, that may prevent us from achieving our goals.  If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operation may be materially and adversely affected.  In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry

We recorded a net loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 and there can be no assurance that our future operations will result in net income.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, we had net revenue of $43 million and $48.6 million, respectively, and we had comprehensive net loss of $19.4 million and $11.1 million, respectively. At December 31, 2018, we had stockholders’ equity of approximately $10.8 million and an accumulated deficit of approximately $34.5 million. There can be no assurance that our future operations will result in net income. Our failure to increase our revenues or improve our gross margins will harm our business. We may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis in the future. If our revenues grow more slowly than we anticipate, our gross margins fail to improve or our operating expenses exceed our expectations, our operating results will suffer. The fee we charge for our solutions and services may decrease, which would reduce our revenues and harm our business. If we are unable to sell our solutions at acceptable prices relative to our costs, or if we fail to develop and introduce new solutions on a timely basis and services from which we can derive additional revenues, our financial results will suffer.

We and our subsidiaries have limited operating histories and therefore we cannot ensure the long-term successful operation of our business or the execution of our business plan.

Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by growing companies in new and rapidly evolving markets, such as the technology consulting markets in which we operate. We must meet many challenges including:

Our business strategy may be unsuccessful and we may be unable to address the risks we face in a cost-effective manner, if at all. If we are unable to successfully address these risks our business will be harmed.

We face working capital constraints and may not have sufficient working capital in the long term and there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing, which could negatively impact our business.

We have incurred significant and recurring operational losses as a result of our ongoing acquisition strategy. As of December 31, 2018, we had outstanding cash payment obligations related to our past acquisitions of approximately $2.7 million.  If our current cash position does not improve significantly, we will not have sufficient cash on hand to meet these obligations.  Due to our working capital constraints, we are current in all payments to all our unsecured noteholders. We are working with certain of our unsecured noteholders to negotiate payment terms until we are able to raise more capital.

Operational streamlining that was completed in the second quarter of 2018 is anticipated to provide cash savings of approximately $2.5 million per year. We believe additional cost-cutting efforts will further reduce cash used in operations.  In addition, we believe that we can obtain additional external financing to meet future cash requirements. We raised $1.25 million in March 2017 through the sale of convertible notes, over $6.7 million in gross proceeds through our public offering of common stock and warrants in November 2017 and $6.6 million in gross proceeds through a private placement in August 2018.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to secure additional sources of capital or that cost savings will provide sufficient working capital.  If we continue to be unable to pay all outstanding payments under our unsecured notes, the unpaid noteholders may take legal action against us, they may accelerate the payment of the principal under the applicable notes, and our senior secured lender may call a cross-default under our existing credit facility, which could result in the acceleration of the obligations thereunder and have a negative impact on our revenue and financial results.  Should we be unable to raise sufficient debt or equity capital, we could be forced to cease operations. Our plan regarding these matters is to work to raise additional debt and/or equity financing to allow us the ability to cover our current cash flow requirements and meet our obligations as they become due. There can be no assurances that financing will be available or if available, that such financing will be available under favorable terms.

The economic environment, pricing pressures, and decreased employee utilization rates could negatively impact our revenues and operating results.

Spending on technology products and services is subject to fluctuations depending on many factors, including the economic environment in the markets in which our clients operate.

Reduced ERP spending in response to a challenging economic environment leads to increased pricing pressure from our clients, which may adversely impact our revenue, gross profits, operating margins and results of operations.

In addition to the business challenges and margin pressure resulting from economic slowdown in the markets in which our clients operate and the response of our clients to such slowdown, there is also a growing trend among consumers of ERP services towards consolidation of technology service providers in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Our success in the competitive bidding process for new projects or in retaining existing projects is dependent on our ability to fulfil client expectations relating to staffing, delivery of services and more stringent service levels. If we fail to meet a client’s expectations in such projects, this would likely adversely impact our business, revenues and operating margins. In addition, even if we are successful in winning the mandates for such projects, we may experience significant pressure on our operating margins as a result of the competitive bidding process.

Moreover, our ability to maintain or increase pricing is restricted as clients often expect that as we do more business with them, they will receive volume discounts or lower rates. In addition, existing and new customers are also increasingly using third-party consultants with broad market knowledge to assist them in negotiating contractual terms. Any inability to maintain or increase pricing on account of this practice may also adversely impact our revenues, gross profits, operating margins and results of operations.

Uncertain global SAP consulting market conditions may continue to adversely affect demand for our services.

We rely heavily on global demand for ERP services, especially SAP consulting by customers. Any weakness for these ERP services by global customers will adversely affect our revenue projections and hence our profits. SAP AG is adapting itself to the changes in the market especially towards cloud offerings. These changes may lead to SAP losing its market share to other competitors like Oracle, Microsoft, Salesforce and Workday among many other newer players. With these setbacks to SAP, we may face uncertain future due to dramatic changes in the market place which in turn will affect our revenues and profits.

Our success depends largely upon our highly-skilled technology professionals and our ability to hire, attract, motivate, retain and train these personnel.

Our ability to execute projects, maintain our client relationships and acquire new clients depends largely on our ability to attract, hire, train, motivate and retain highly skilled technology professionals, particularly project managers and other mid-level professionals. If we cannot hire, motivate and retain personnel, our ability to bid for projects, obtain new projects and expand our business will be impaired and our revenues could decline.

Increasing worldwide competition for skilled technology professionals and increased hiring by technology companies may affect our ability to hire and retain an adequate number of skilled and experienced technology professionals, which may in turn have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, the demands of changes in technology, evolving standards and changing client preferences may require us to redeploy and retrain our technology professionals. If we are unable to redeploy and retrain our technology professionals to keep pace with continuing changes in technology, evolving standards and changing client preferences, this may adversely affect our ability to bid for and obtain new projects and may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We face intense competition from other service providers.

We are subject to intense competition in the industry in which we operate which may adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We operate in a highly competitive industry, which is served by numerous global, national, regional and local firms. Our industry has experienced rapid technological developments, changes in industry standards and customer requirements. The principal competitive factors in the IT markets include the range of services offered, size and scale of service provider, global reach, technical expertise, responsiveness to client needs, speed in delivery of IT solutions, quality of service and perceived value. Many companies also choose to perform some or all of their back-office IT and IT-enabled operations internally. Such competitiveness requires us to keep pace with technological developments and maintains leadership; enhance our service offerings, including the breadth of our services and portfolio, and address increasingly sophisticated customer requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner.

We market our service offerings to large and medium-sized organizations. Generally, the pricing for the projects depends on the type of contract, which includes time and material contracts, annual maintenance contracts (fixed time frame), fixed price contracts and transaction price based contracts. The intense competition and the changes in the general economic and business conditions can put pressure on us to change our prices. If our competitors offer deep discounts on certain services or provide services that the marketplace considers more valuable, we may need to lower prices or offer other favorable terms in order to compete successfully. Any broad-based change to our prices and pricing policies could cause revenues to decline and may reduce margins and could adversely affect results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Some of our competitors may bundle software products and services for promotional purposes or as a long-term pricing strategy or provide guarantees of prices and product implementations. These practices could, over time, significantly constrain the prices that we can charge for certain services. If we do not adapt our pricing models to reflect changes in customer use of our services or changes in customer demand, our revenues and cash flows could decrease.

Our competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources and greater name recognition and, therefore, may be better able to compete for new work and skilled professionals. Similarly, if our competitors are successful in identifying and implementing newer service enhancements in response to rapid changes in technology and customer preferences, they may be more successful at selling their services. If we are unable to respond to such changes our results of operations may be harmed. Further, a client may choose to use its own internal resources rather than engage an outside firm to perform the types of services we provide. We cannot be certain that we will be able to sustain our current levels of profitability or growth in the face of competitive pressures, including competition for skilled technology professionals and pricing pressure from competitors employing an on-site/offshore business model.

In addition, we may face competition from companies that increase in size or scope as the result of strategic alliances such as mergers or acquisitions. These transactions may include consolidation activity among hardware manufacturers, software companies and vendors and service providers. The result of any such vertical integration may be greater integration of products and services that were once offered separately by independent vendors. Our access to such products and services may be reduced as a result of such an industry trend, which could adversely affect our competitive position. These types of events could have a variety of negative effects on our competitive position and our financial results, such as reducing our revenue, increasing our costs, lowering our gross margin percentage and requiring us to recognize impairments on our assets.

Our business could be adversely affected if we do not anticipate and respond to technology advances in our industry and our clients’ industries.

The IT and global outsourcing and SAP consulting services industries are characterized by rapid technological change, evolving industry standards, changing client preferences and new product introductions. Our success will depend in part on our ability to develop IT solutions that keep pace with industry developments. We may not be successful in addressing these developments on a timely basis or at all. In addition, products or technologies developed by others may not render our services noncompetitive or obsolete. Our failure to address these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

A significant number of organizations are attempting to migrate business applications to advanced technologies. As a result, our ability to remain competitive will be dependent on several factors, including our ability to develop, train and hire employees with skills in advanced technologies, breadth and depth of process and technology expertise, service quality, knowledge of industry, marketing and sales capabilities. Our failure to hire, train and retain employees with such skills could have a material adverse impact on our business. Our ability to remain competitive will also be dependent on our ability to design and implement, in a timely and cost- effective manner, effective transition strategies for clients moving to advanced architectures. Our failure to design and implement such transition strategies in a timely and cost-effective manner could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Our operations and assets in India expose us to regulatory, economic, political and other uncertainties in India, which could harm our business.

We have an offshore presence in India where a number of our technical professionals are located. In the past, the Indian economy has experienced many of the problems confronting the economies of developing countries, including high inflation and varying gross domestic product growth. Salaries and other related benefits constitute a major portion of our total operating costs. Many of our employees based in India where our wage costs have historically been significantly lower than wage costs in the United States and Europe for comparably skilled professionals, and this has been one of our competitive advantages. However, wage increases in India or other countries where we have our operations may prevent us from sustaining this competitive advantage if wages increase. We may need to increase the levels of our employee compensation more rapidly than in the past to retain talent. If such events occur, we may be unable to continue to increase the efficiency and productivity of our employees and wage increases in the long term may reduce our profit margins.

Our clients may seek to reduce their dependence on India for outsourced IT services or take advantage of the services provided in countries with labor costs similar to or lower than India.

Clients which presently outsource a significant proportion of their IT services requirements to vendors in India may, for various reasons, including in response to rising labor costs in India and to diversify geographic risk, seek to reduce their dependence on one country. We expect that future competition will increasingly include firms with operations in other countries, especially those countries with labor costs similar to or lower than India, such as China, the Philippines and countries in Eastern Europe. Since wage costs in our industry in India are increasing, our ability to compete effectively will become increasingly dependent on our reputation, the quality of our services and our expertise in specific industries. If labor costs in India rise at a rate that is significantly greater than labor costs in other countries, our reliance on the labor in India may reduce our profit margins and adversely affect our ability to compete, which would, in turn, have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Our business could be materially adversely affected if we do not or are unable to protect our intellectual property or if our services are found to infringe upon or misappropriate the intellectual property of others.

Our success depends in part upon certain methodologies and tools we use in designing, developing and implementing applications systems in providing our services. We rely upon a combination of nondisclosure and other contractual arrangements and intellectual property laws to protect confidential information and intellectual property rights of ours and our third parties from whom we license intellectual property. We enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees and limit distribution of proprietary information. The steps we take in this regard may not be adequate to deter misappropriation of proprietary information and we may not be able to detect unauthorized use of, protect or enforce our intellectual property rights. At the same time, our competitors may independently develop similar technology or duplicate our products or services. Any significant misappropriation, infringement or devaluation of such rights could have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Litigation may be required to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. Any such litigation could be time consuming and costly. Although we believe that our services do not infringe or misappropriate on the intellectual property rights of others and that we have all rights necessary to utilize the intellectual property employed in our business, defense against these claims, even if not meritorious, could be expensive and divert our attention and resources from operating our company. A successful claim of intellectual property infringement against us could require us to pay a substantial damage award, develop non-infringing technology, obtain a license or cease selling the products or services that contain the infringing technology. Such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Any disruption in the supply of power, IT infrastructure and telecommunications lines to our facilities could disrupt our business process or subject us to additional costs.

Any disruption in basic infrastructure, including the supply of power, could negatively impact our ability to provide timely or adequate services to our clients. We rely on a number of telecommunications service and other infrastructure providers to maintain communications between our various facilities and clients in India, the United States and elsewhere. Telecommunications networks are subject to failures and periods of service disruption, which can adversely affect our ability to maintain active voice and data communications among our facilities and with our clients. Such disruptions may cause harm to our clients’ business. We do not maintain business interruption insurance and may not be covered for any claims or damages if the supply of power, IT infrastructure or telecommunications lines is disrupted. This could disrupt our business process or subject us to additional costs, materially adversely affecting our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

System security risks and cyber-attacks could disrupt our information technology services provided to customers, and any such disruption could reduce our expected revenue, increase our expenses, damage our reputation and adversely affect our stock price and the value of our warrants.

Security and availability of IT infrastructure is of the utmost concern for our business, and the security of critical information and infrastructure necessary for rendering services is also one of the top priorities of our customers.

System security risks and cyber-attacks could breach the security and disrupt the availability of our IT services provided to customers. Any such breach or disruption could allow the misuse of our information systems, resulting in litigation and potential liability for us, the loss of existing or potential clients, damage to our reputation and diminished brand value and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

Our network and our deployed security controls could also be penetrated by a skilled computer hacker or intruder. Further, a hacker or intruder could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of our protected information, including personally identifiable information; deploy malicious software or code like computer viruses, worms or Trojan horses, etc. may exploit any security vulnerabilities, known or unknown, of our information system; cause disruption in the availability of our information and services; and attack our information system through various other mediums.

We also procure software or hardware products from third party vendors that provide, manage and monitor our services. Such products may contain known or unfamiliar manufacturing, design or other defects which may allow a security breach or cyber-attack, if exploited by a computer hacker or intruder, or may be capable of disrupting performance of our IT services and prevent us from providing services to our clients.

In addition, we manage, store, process, transmit and have access to significant amounts of data and information that may include our proprietary and confidential information and that of our clients. This data may include personal information, sensitive personal information, personally identifiable information or other critical data and information, of our employees, contractors, officials, directors, end customers of our clients or others, by which any individual may be identified or likely to be identified. Our data security and privacy systems and procedures meet applicable regulatory standards and undergo periodic compliance audits by independent third parties and customers. However, if our compliance with these standards is inadequate, we may be subject to regulatory penalties and litigation, resulting in potential liability for us and an adverse impact on our business.

We are still susceptible to data security or privacy breaches, including accidental or deliberate loss and unauthorized disclosure or dissemination of such data or information. Any breach of such data or information may lead to identity theft, impersonation, deception, fraud, misappropriation or other offenses in which such information may be used to cause harm to our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, business, results of operations and cash flows.

We must effectively manage the growth of our operations, or our company will suffer.

Our ability to successfully implement our business plan requires an effective planning and management process. If funding is available, we intend to increase the scope of our operations and acquire complimentary businesses. Implementing our business plan will require significant additional funding and resources. If we grow our operations, we will need to hire additional employees and make significant capital investments. If we grow our operations, it will place a significant strain on our existing management and resources. If we grow, we will need to improve our financial and managerial controls and reporting systems and procedures, and we will need to expand, train and manage our workforce. Any failure to manage any of the foregoing areas efficiently and effectively would cause our business to suffer.

Our revenues are concentrated in a limited number of clients and our revenues may be significantly reduced if these clients decrease their IT spending.

Our client contracts are based on time and materials expenses. We do not have long-term client contracts. Our client contracts contain standard payment terms, and our clients only pay us for services rendered. We have limited exposure for non-payment by our clients and do not have any unresolved client debts. While our client contracts can be terminated with little or no notice, it is uncommon for our clients to terminate an engagement in the middle of the implementation of services.

For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, sales to five major customers accounted for approximately 39% and 43%, respectively, of our total revenue.   Consequently, if our top clients reduce or postpone their IT spending significantly, this may lower the demand for our services and negatively affect our revenues and profitability. Further, any significant decrease in the growth of the financial services or other industry segments on which we focus may reduce the demand for our services and negatively affect our revenues, profitability and cash flows.

Our client contracts can typically be terminated without cause and with little or no notice or penalty, which could negatively impact our revenues and profitability.

Our clients typically retain us on a non-exclusive, project-by-project basis. Many of our client contracts can be terminated with or without cause. Our business is dependent on the decisions and actions of our clients, and there are a number of factors relating to our clients that are outside of our control which might lead to termination of a project or the loss of a client, including:

Our inability to control the termination of client contracts could have a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our engagements with customers are typically singular in nature and do not necessarily provide for subsequent engagements.

Our clients generally retain us on a short-term, engagement-by-engagement basis in connection with specific projects, rather than on a recurring basis under long-term contracts. Although a substantial majority of our revenues are generated from repeat business, which we define as revenues from a client who also contributed to our revenues during the prior fiscal year, our engagements with our clients are typically for projects that are singular in nature. Therefore, we must seek out new engagements when our current engagements are successfully completed or terminated, and we are constantly seeking to expand our business with existing clients and secure new clients for our services. In addition, in order to continue expanding our business, we may need to significantly expand our sales and marketing group, which would increase our expenses and may not necessarily result in a substantial increase in business. If we are unable to generate a substantial number of new engagements for projects on a continual basis, our business and results of operations would likely be adversely affected.

Our results of operations may fluctuate from quarter to quarter, which could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our results of operations may fluctuate from quarter to quarter depending upon several factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include the timing and number of client projects commenced and completed during the quarter, the number of working days in a quarter, employee hiring, attrition and utilization rates and the mix of time-and-material projects versus fixed price deliverable projects and maintenance projects during the quarter. Additionally, periodically our cost increases due to both the hiring of new employees and strategic investments in infrastructure in anticipation of future opportunities for revenue growth.

These and other factors could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and this makes the prediction of our financial results on a quarterly basis difficult. Also, it is possible that our quarterly financial results may be below the expectations of public market analysts.

We are heavily dependent on our senior management, and a loss of a member of our senior management team could cause our stock price and the value of our warrants to suffer.

If we lose members of our senior management, we may not be able to find appropriate replacements on a timely basis, and our business could be adversely affected. Our existing operations and continued future development depend to a significant extent upon the performance and active participation of certain key individuals. We do not currently maintain key man insurance. If we were to lose any of our key personnel, we may not be able to find appropriate replacements on a timely basis and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our international sales and operations are subject to applicable laws relating to trade, export controls and foreign corrupt practices, the violation of which could adversely affect its operations.

We must comply with all applicable international trade, customs, export controls and economic sanctions laws and regulations of the United States and other countries. We are also subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-bribery laws that generally bar bribes or unreasonable gifts to foreign governments or officials. Changes in trade sanctions laws may restrict our business practices, including cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries or with sanctioned entities, and may result in modifications to compliance programs. Violation of these laws or regulations could result in sanctions or fines and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our income tax returns are subject to review by taxing authorities, and the final determination of our tax liability with respect to tax audits and any related litigation could adversely affect our financial results.

Although we believe that our tax estimates are reasonable and that we prepare and submit our tax filings on a timely basis and in accordance with all applicable tax laws, the final determination with respect to any tax audits, and any related litigation, could be materially different from our estimates or from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation could have a material effect on operating results and/or cash flows in the periods for which that determination is made. In addition, future period earnings may be adversely impacted by litigation costs, settlements, penalties and/or interest assessments.

Failure of our customers to pay the amounts owed to us in a timely manner may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

We generally provide payment terms ranging from 30 to 60 days. As a result, we generate significant accounts receivable from sales to our customers, representing approximately 78% of current assets as of December 31, 2018 and approximately 60% of current assets as of December 31, 2017. Accounts receivable from sales to customers were $7.9 million as of December 31, 2018 and $8.8 million as of December,31 2017. As of December 31, 2018, the largest amount owed by a single customer was approximately 13% of total accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2018, we had no allowance for doubtful accounts. If any of our significant customers have insufficient liquidity, we could encounter significant delays or defaults in payments owed to us by such customers, and we may need to extend our payment terms or restructure the receivables owed to us, which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition. Any deterioration in the financial condition of our customers will increase the risk of uncollectible receivables. Global economic uncertainty could also affect our customers’ ability to pay our receivables in a timely manner or at all or result in customers going into bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings, which could also affect our ability to collect our receivables.

If we are unable to collect our dues or receivables from or invoice our unbilled services to our clients, our results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.

Our business depends on our ability to successfully obtain payments from our clients of the amounts they owe us for work performed. We evaluate the financial condition of our clients and usually bill and collect on relatively short cycles. Macroeconomic conditions, such as a potential credit crisis in the global financial system, could result in financial difficulties for our clients, including limited access to the credit markets, insolvency or bankruptcy. Such conditions could cause clients to delay payment, request modifications of their payment terms, or default on their payment obligations to us, all of which could increase our receivables. If we experience delays in the collection of, or are unable to collect, our client balances, our results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. In addition, if we experience delays in billing and collection for our services, our cash flows could be adversely affected.

Goodwill that we carry on our balance sheet could give rise to significant impairment charges in the future.

Goodwill is subject to impairment review at least annually. Impairment testing under standards as issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board may lead to impairment charges in the future. Any significant impairment charges could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our revenue and operating results may be affected by the rate of growth in the use of technology in business and the type and level of technology spending by our clients.

Our business depends, in part, upon continued reliance on the use of technology in business by our clients and prospective clients as well as their customers and suppliers. In particular, the success of our new service offerings requires continued demand for such services and our ability to meet this demand in a cost-effective manner. In challenging economic environments, our clients may reduce or defer their spending on new technologies in order to focus on other priorities and prospective clients may decide not to engage our services. Also, many companies have already invested substantial resources in their current means of conducting commerce and exchanging information, and they may be reluctant or slow to adopt new approaches that could disrupt existing personnel, processes and infrastructures. If the growth of technology usage in business, or our clients’ spending on such technology, declines, or if we cannot convince our clients or potential clients to embrace new technological solutions, our revenue and operating results could be adversely affected.

Our business will suffer if we fail to anticipate and develop new services and enhance existing services in order to keep pace with rapid changes in technology and the industries on which we focus.

The ERP services market is characterized by rapid technological changes, evolving industry standards, changing client preferences and new product and service introductions. Our future success will depend on our ability to anticipate these advances and enhance our existing offerings or develop new product and service offerings to meet client needs. We may not be successful in anticipating or responding to these advances on a timely basis, or, if we do respond, the services or technologies we develop may not be successful in the marketplace. We may also be unsuccessful in stimulating customer demand for new and upgraded products, or seamlessly managing new product introductions or transitions. Further, products, services or technologies that are developed by our competitors may render our services non-competitive or obsolete. Our failure to address the demands of the rapidly evolving information technology environment, particularly with respect to digital technology, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and storage, mobility and applications and analytics, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, investments and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments, including non-U.S. governments. In particular, we are required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our international operations subject us to exposure to foreign currency fluctuations.

We have operations in three countries and as we expand our international operations, more of our customers pay us in foreign currencies. Transactions in currencies other than U.S. dollars subject us to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Accordingly, changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and net income, which may in turn have a negative impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and other currencies has changed substantially in recent years and may fluctuate in the future. We expect that the vast majority of our revenues will continue to be generated in U.S. dollars for the foreseeable future and that a significant portion of our expenses, including personnel costs, as well as capital and operating expenditures, will continue to be denominated in other currencies such as Indian Rupee. The hedging strategies that we may implement in the future to mitigate foreign currency exchange rate risks may not reduce or completely offset our exposure to foreign exchange rate fluctuations and may expose our business to unexpected market, operational and counterparty credit risks. Accordingly, we may incur losses from our use of foreign exchange derivate contracts that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Acquisitions, expansions or infrastructure investments may require us to increase our level of indebtedness or issue additional equity.

As we continue to consummate additional acquisition opportunities, undertake additional expansion activities or make substantial investments in our infrastructure, our capital needs continue to expand. Accordingly, we may need to draw down additional borrowings under our credit facility or access public or private debt or equity markets. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be successful in raising additional debt or equity, or that we will be able to raise such funds on terms that we would consider acceptable.

An increase in the level of indebtedness, if any, could, among other things:

Additionally, any further equity offering would dilute your ownership interest in our company.

Our earnings and financial condition may be negatively impacted by certain tax related matters.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our provision for income taxes and cash tax liability could be adversely affected by numerous factors, including income before taxes being lower than anticipated in countries with lower statutory tax rates and higher than anticipated in countries with higher statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in accounting principles or interpretations and changes in tax laws. Certain jurisdictions, including the United States, are actively contemplating tax reform and tax policy changes. Any of these changes could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition in future periods. In addition, our income tax returns are subject to examination in the jurisdictions in which we operate. An unfavorable outcome of one or more of these examinations may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

International hostilities, terrorist activities, other violence or war, natural disasters, pandemics and infrastructure disruptions, could delay or reduce the number of new service orders we receive and impair our ability to service our customers, thereby adversely affecting our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Hostilities involving acts of terrorism, violence or war, natural disasters, global health risks or pandemics or the threat or perceived potential for these events could materially adversely affect our operations and our ability to provide services to our customers. Such events may cause customers to delay their decisions on spending for information technology, consulting, and business process services and give rise to sudden significant changes in regional and global economic conditions and cycles. These events also pose significant risks to our personnel and to our and our customers’ physical facilities and operations around the world. Additionally, by disrupting communications and travel, giving rise to travel restrictions, and increasing the difficulty of obtaining and retaining highly-skilled and qualified personnel, these events could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver services to some or all of our customers. The majority of our employees are located in India, and the vast majority of our technical professionals in the United States and Canada are Indian nationals who are able to work in the United States and Europe only because they hold current visas and work permits. Any inability to travel could cause us to incur additional unexpected costs and expenses or could impair our ability to retain the skilled professionals we need for our operations. In addition, any extended disruptions of electricity, other public utilities or network services at our facilities could also adversely affect our ability to serve our customers.

Hostilities involving the United States, Canada and India where we provide services to our customers, and other acts of terrorism, violence or war, natural disasters, global health risks or pandemics may reduce the demand for our services and negatively affect our revenues. If we fail to defend against any of these occurrences, we might be unable to protect our people, facilities and systems. If these disruptions prevent us from effectively serving our customers, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Anti-outsourcing legislation, if adopted, and negative perceptions associated with offshore outsourcing could impair our ability to service our customers and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The issue of companies outsourcing services to organizations operating in other countries is a topic of political discussion in the United States, which is our largest market. For example, a number of measures aimed at limiting or restricting outsourcing by U.S. companies have been put forward for consideration by the U.S. Congress and in various state legislatures to address concerns over the perceived association between offshore outsourcing and the loss of jobs domestically. Further, the current U.S. administration or Congress may seek to limit outsourcing by U.S. companies. If enacted, such measures may broaden existing restrictions on outsourcing by federal and state government agencies and on government contracts with firms that outsource services directly or indirectly, or impact private industry with measures that include tax disincentives, fees or penalties, intellectual property transfer restrictions, mandatory government audit requirements, and new standards that have the effect of restricting the use of certain business and/or work visas. In the event that any of these measures become law, our ability to provide services to our customers could be impaired, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, from time to time there has been publicity about negative experiences associated with offshore outsourcing, such as domestic job loss and theft and misappropriation of sensitive customer data, particularly involving service providers in India. Current or prospective customers may elect to perform certain services themselves or may be discouraged from utilizing global service delivery providers due to negative perceptions that may be associated with using global service delivery models or firms. Any slowdown or reversal of existing industry trends toward global service delivery would seriously harm our ability to compete effectively with competitors that provide the majority of their services from within the country in which our customers operate.

Restrictions on immigration may affect our ability to compete for and provide services to customers, which could hamper our growth and cause our revenues to decline.

Our future success continues to depend on our ability to attract and retain employees with technical and project management skills, including those from developing countries, especially India. The ability of foreign nationals to work in the United States, depends on their and our ability to obtain the necessary visas and work permits for our personnel who need to travel internationally. If we are unable to obtain such visas or work permits, or if their issuance is delayed or if their length is shortened, we may not be able to provide services to our customers or to continue to provide services on a timely and cost-effective basis, receive revenues as early as expected or manage our delivery centers as efficiently as we otherwise could, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Immigration and work permit laws and regulations in the countries in which we have customers are subject to legislative and administrative changes as well as changes in the application of standards and enforcement. For example, the U.S. Congress has been actively considering various proposals that would make extensive changes to U.S. immigration laws regarding the admission of high-skilled temporary and permanent workers. Further, the current U.S. administration or Congress may seek to limit the admission of high-skilled temporary and permanent workers and has issued and may continue to issue executive orders designed to limit immigration. Any such provisions may increase our cost of doing business in the United States and may discourage customers from seeking our services. Our international expansion strategy and our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially adversely affected if changes in immigration and work permit laws and regulations or the administration or enforcement of such laws or regulations impair our ability to staff projects with professionals who are not citizens of the country where the work is to be performed.

Risk Factors Relating to Our Indebtedness

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness, which may limit our operating flexibility and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

As of December 31, 2018, we had approximately $4 million in borrowings outstanding under our senior secured credit facility (the “Credit Facility”), which provided for up to $8 million in principal for revolving loans (the “Revolving Loans”) for general working capital purposes.

On January 23, 2019, certain subsidiaries of the Company, including Ameri100 Arizona LLC, Ameri100 Georgia, Inc., Ameri100 California, Inc. and Ameri and Partners, Inc., as borrowers (individually and collectively, “Borrower”) entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”), with North Mill Capital LLC, as lender (the “Lender”). The Loan Agreement has an initial term of two years from the closing date, with renewal thereafter if Lender, at its option, agrees in writing to extend the term for additional one year periods (the “Term”). The Loan Agreement is collateralized by a first-priority security interest in all of the assets of Borrower. In addition, (i) pursuant to a Corporate Guaranty entered into by the Company in favor of the Lender (the “Corporate Guaranty”), the Company has guaranteed the Borrower’s obligations under the Credit Facility and (ii) pursuant to a Security Agreement entered into between the Company and Lender (the “Security Agreement”), the Company granted a first-priority security interest in all of its assets to Lender.

The Borrowers received an initial advance on January 23, 2019 in an amount of approximately $2.85 million (the “Initial Advance”). Borrowings under the Credit Facility accrue interest at the prime rate (as designated by Wells Fargo Bank, National Association) plus one and three quarters percentage points (1.75%), but in no event shall the interest rate be less than seven and one-quarter percent (7.25%). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Loan Documents, the minimum monthly interest payable by Borrower on the Advances (as defined in the Loan Agreement) in any month shall be calculated based on an average Daily Balance (as defined in the Loan Agreement) of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) for such month.  For the first year of the Term, Borrower shall pay to Lender a facility fee equal to $50,000, due in equal monthly installments, with additional facility fees due to Lender in the event borrowings exceed certain thresholds and with additional facility fees due and payable in later years or upon later milestones. In addition, Borrower shall pay to Lender a monthly fee (the “Servicing Fee”) in an amount equal to one-eighth percent (.125%) of the average Daily Balance (as defined in the Loan Agreement) during each month on or before the first day of each calendar month during the Term.

The Company used approximately $2.75 million of the Initial Advance to repay all of its outstanding obligations under the Credit Facility. Upon payment, the Company’s obligations under the Credit Facility were terminated.

Borrower also agreed to certain negative covenants in the Loan Agreement, including that they will not, without the prior written consent of Lender, enter into any extraordinary transactions, dispose of assets, merge, acquire, or consolidate with or into any other business organization or restructure.

If an Event of Default (as defined in the Loan Agreement) occurs, Lender may, among other things, (i) declare all obligations immediately due and payable in full; (ii) cease advancing money or extending credit to or for the benefit of Borrower; and/or (iii) terminate the Loan Agreement as to any future liability or obligation of Lender, without affecting Lender’s right to repayment of all obligations and Lender’s security interests.

In addition, as of December 31, 2018, we have an outstanding aggregate of $1.25 million in 8% Convertible Unsecured Promissory Notes (the “2017 Notes”), which were issued to four accredited investors, including one of the Company’s then-directors, Dhruwa N. Rai, and David Luci, who became a director of the Company in February 2018. The 2017 Notes bear interest at 8% per annum until maturity in March 2020, with interest being paid annually on the first, second and third anniversaries of the issuance of the 2017 Notes beginning in March 2018. From and after an event of default and for so long as the event of default is continuing, the 2017 Notes will bear default interest at the rate of 10% per annum. The 2017 Notes can be prepaid by us at any time without penalty.

The 2017 Notes are convertible into shares of our common stock at a conversion price equal to $2.80. The holders of the 2017 Notes have the right, at their option, at any time and from time to time to convert, in part or in whole, the outstanding principal amount and all accrued and unpaid interest under the 2017 Notes into shares of the Company’s common stock at the then applicable conversion price.

The 2017 Notes rank junior to our secured credit facility with Sterling National Bank. The 2017 Notes also include certain negative covenants including, without the investors’ approval, restrictions on dividends and other restricted payments and reclassification of its stock.

Our level of indebtedness and the operating restrictions imposed by such indebtedness may make it difficult to service our debt and may adversely affect our ability to obtain additional financing, use operating cash flow in other areas of our business or otherwise adversely affect our operations.

Risks Relating to Our Securities

Our stock price may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses for investors.

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and could fluctuate widely in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following:

In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also significantly affect the market price of our common stock.

Our common stock could be subject to delisting from NASDAQ.

Holders of our warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until they exercise their warrants and acquire our common stock.

Until a holder of our warrants acquires shares of our common stock upon exercise of such warrants, such holder will have no rights with respect to shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. Upon exercise of warrants by, the holder shall become entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

A significant number of our shares are eligible for sale and their sale or potential sale may depress the market price of our common stock.

Sales of a significant number of shares of our common stock in the public market could harm the market price of our common stock. Certain of our stockholders currently hold shares which are subject to restrictive legends that may be eligible for removal, and if such stockholders complete the process for removal of an applicable restrictive legend, their shares will become freely tradeable.  In addition, over 27.2 million shares are issuable upon exercise of options and warrants , settlement of restricted stock units and conversion of the 2017 Notes. Pursuant to an effective registration statement, 1,000,000 shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants are freely tradeable unless they are purchased by our “affiliates,” as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. If any options are exercised, restricted stock units are settled or the 2017 Notes are converted, the shares issued upon such exercise, settlement or conversion (as applicable) will also be restricted, but may be sold under Rule 144 after the shares have been held for six months. Sales under Rule 144 may be subject to volume limitations and other conditions.

In addition to the possibility that actual sales of significant amounts of our common stock in the public market could harm our common stock price, the fact that our stockholders have the ability to make such sales could create a circumstance commonly referred to as an “overhang,” in anticipation of which the market price of our common stock could fall. The existence of an overhang, whether or not sales have occurred or are occurring, could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional financing through the sale of equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or appropriate.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the future. As a result, any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors as our board of directors may consider relevant. In addition, no dividends will be declared or paid or set apart for payment on our common stock unless all accumulated accrued and unpaid dividends in respect of our Series A Preferred Stock are contemporaneously declared and paid in cash or declared and a sum of cash sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for such payment on the Series A Preferred Stock for all past dividend periods with respect to which full dividends were not paid on the Series A Preferred Stock in cash. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.

We currently have Series A Preferred Stock outstanding and our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to create new series of preferred stock without further approval by our stockholders, which could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock.

Our board of directors has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. Our board of directors also has the authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval. We currently have 420,720 shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding. The Series A Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation provides for (a) the payment in-kind in additional shares of Series A Preferred of dividends for all dividend periods from April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2020 at a rate of 2% per annum of the liquidation preference (the “Adjusted Rate”); and, commencing April 1, 2020, we will pay cash dividends per share at a rate per annum equal to the Adjusted Rate multiplied by the liquidation preference; provided, however, dividends for periods ending after April 1, 2020 may be paid at the election of the Company’s board of directors in-kind through the issuance of additional shares of Series A Preferred for up to four dividend periods in any consecutive 36-month period, determined on a rolling basis. Our Series A Preferred Stock gives its holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock. In addition, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of additional series of preferred stock with such rights preferential to the rights of our common stock, including the issuance of a series of preferred stock that has greater voting power than our common stock or that is convertible into our common stock, which could decrease the relative voting power of our common stock or result in dilution to our existing stockholders.

Because certain of our stockholders control a significant number of shares of our common stock, they may have effective control over actions requiring stockholder approval.

A small number of our stockholders, and their respective affiliates, collectively, control the majority of our voting securities. Accordingly, such stockholders, and their respective affiliates, will have significant influence on the ability to control the Company and the outcome of issues submitted to our stockholders.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We currently have limited research coverage by securities and industry analysts and you should not invest in our common stock in anticipation that we will obtain additional analyst coverage. If one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our stock or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which could cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.

If the benefits of any proposed acquisition do not meet the expectations of investors, stockholders or financial analysts, the market price of our common stock may decline.

If the benefits of any proposed acquisition do not meet the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the market price of our common stock prior to the closing of the proposed acquisition may decline. The market values of our common stock at the time of the proposed acquisition may vary significantly from their prices on the date the acquisition target was identified.

In addition, broad market and industry factors may materially harm the market price of our common stock irrespective of our operating performance. The stock market in general has experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the particular companies affected. The trading prices and valuations of these stocks, and of our securities, may not be predictable. A loss of investor confidence in the market for retail stocks or the stocks of other companies which investors perceive to be similar to us could depress our stock price regardless of our business, prospects, financial conditions or results of operations. A decline in the market price of our securities also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future.

Changes in accounting principles and guidance, or their interpretation, could result in unfavorable accounting charges or effects, including changes to our previously filed financial statements, which could cause our stock price to decline.

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. These principles are subject to interpretation by the SEC and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting principles and guidance. A change in these principles or guidance, or in their interpretations, may have a significant effect on our reported results and retroactively affect previously reported results.

Being a public company results in additional expenses, diverts management’s attention and could also adversely affect our ability to attract and retain qualified directors.

As a public reporting company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These requirements generate significant accounting, legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more difficult, time consuming or costly and may place significant strain on our personnel and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to establish the requisite disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, significant resources and management oversight are required.

As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could have an adverse and even material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These rules and regulations may also make it more difficult and expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance. If we are unable to obtain appropriate director and officer insurance, our ability to recruit and retain qualified officers and directors, especially those directors who may be deemed independent, could be adversely impacted.

If our shares of common stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.

The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain our listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

We are an “emerging growth company” and our election to delay adoption of new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies may result in our financial statements not being comparable to those of some other public companies. As a result of this and other reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, our securities may be less attractive to investors.

As a public reporting company with less than $1,070,000,000 in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). An emerging growth company may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements and is relieved of certain other significant requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. In particular, as an emerging growth company we:

We intend to take advantage of all of these reduced reporting requirements and exemptions, including the longer phase-in periods for the adoption of new or revised financial accounting standards under §107 of the JOBS Act. Our election to use the phase-in periods may make it difficult to compare our financial statements to those of non-emerging growth companies and other emerging growth companies that have opted out of the phase-in periods under §107 of the JOBS Act.

Certain of these reduced reporting requirements and exemptions were already available to us due to the fact that we also qualify as a “smaller reporting company” under SEC rules. For instance, smaller reporting companies are not required to obtain an auditor attestation and report regarding management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting; are not required to provide a compensation discussion and analysis; are not required to provide a pay-for-performance graph or Chief Executive Officer pay ratio disclosure; and may present only two years of audited financial statements and related MD&A disclosure.

Under the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of the above-described reduced reporting requirements and exemptions for up to five years after our initial sale of common equity pursuant to a registration statement declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or such earlier time that we no longer meet the definition of an emerging growth company. In this regard, the JOBS Act provides that we would cease to be an “emerging growth company” if we have more than $1,070,000,000 in annual revenues, have more than $700 million in market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates, or issue more than $1.0 billion in principal amount of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. Further, under current SEC rules we will continue to qualify as a “smaller reporting company” for so long as we have a public float (i.e., the market value of common equity held by non-affiliates) of less than $250 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

We cannot predict if investors will find our securities less attractive due to our reliance on these exemptions.

Failure to establish and maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business, stock price and the value of our warrants.

We are required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which require management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of controls over financial reporting. We are required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis, and we are required to make internal annual assessments of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. However, as an emerging growth company, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 until we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our controls are documented, designed or operating.

To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we have undertaken various actions, and may need to take additional actions, such as implementing new internal controls and procedures and hiring additional accounting or internal audit staff. Testing and maintaining internal control can divert our management’s attention from other matters that are important to the operation of our business. Additionally, when evaluating our internal control over financial reporting, we may identify material weaknesses that we may not be able to remediate in time to meet the applicable deadline imposed upon us for compliance with the requirements of Section 404. If we identify any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting once we are no longer an emerging growth company, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the Financial Industry Regulatory Agency, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Our management has assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Our internal control over financial reporting includes maintaining records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and dispositions of our assets; providing reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary for preparation of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; providing reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures are made in accordance with authorizations of management and our directors; and providing reasonable assurance that unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements would be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As a result of this assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2018, our internal control over financial reporting was not yet effective in providing reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This is largely due to the fact that we are acquiring privately held companies as part of our growth strategy and our control procedures over all acquired subsidiaries will not be effective until such time as we are able to fully integrate the acquisition with our company and set processes and procedures for the acquired entities. We are working to improve and harmonize our financial reporting controls and procedures across all of our companies.

Anti-takeover provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, could impair a takeover attempt.

The Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control or changes in our management without the consent of our board of directors. These provisions include:

Our amended and restated bylaws designate courts in the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees.

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, or, if such other court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the Company’s certificate of incorporation or the bylaws, or any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our amended and restated bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions.