Item 1A. Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

WE HAVE HAD LIMITED OPERATIONS, HAVE INCURRED LOSSES SINCE INCEPTION, HAVE LIMITEDCASH TO SUSTAIN OUR OPERATIONS, AND WE NEED ADDITIONAL CAPITAL TO EXECUTE OUR BUSINESS PLAN AND RECEIVED A GOING CONCERN OPINION IN PRIOR PERIODS.

The Company has suffered recurring losses. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company had net loss of $3,562,185 and cash used in operations of $2,179,237. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The recoverability of a major portion of the recorded asset amounts shown in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet is dependent upon continued operations of the Company, which in turn, is dependent upon the Company's ability to raise capital and/or generate positive cash flows from operations.

Management plans to achieve profitability by increasing its business through opening additional retail stores and expanding its online presence. There can be no assurance that the Company can raise the required capital to support operations or increase sales to achieve profitable operations. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary in the event the Company cannot continue in existence.

A DECLINE IN DISCRETIONARY CONSUMER SPENDING MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR INDUSTRY, OUR OPERATIONS, AND ULTIMATELY OUR PROFITABILITY.

Luxury products, such as fine jewelry, are discretionary purchases for consumers. Any reduction in consumer discretionary spending or disposable income may affect the jewelry industry more significantly than other industries. Many economic factors outside of our control could affect consumer discretionary spending, including the financial markets, consumer credit availability, prevailing interest rates, energy costs, employment levels, salary levels, and tax rates. Any reduction in discretionary consumer spending could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.

THERE IS A RISK ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19

The Company’s operations were and may be continued to be affected by the recent and ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which in March 2020, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The ultimate disruption which may be caused by the outbreak is uncertain; however, it may result in a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, operations and cash flows. Possible areas that may be affected include, but are not limited to, disruption to the Company’s customers and revenue, labor workforce, unavailability of products and supplies used in operations, and the decline in value of assets held by the Company, including property and equipment.

OUR OPERATING RESULTS MAY BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY WORLDWIDE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES AND SPECIFIC CONDITIONS IN THE MARKETS WE ADDRESS.

In the recent past, general worldwide economic conditions have experienced a downturn due to slower economic activity, concerns about inflation, increased energy costs, decreased consumer confidence, and reduced corporate profits and capital spending, and adverse business conditions. Any continuation or worsening of the current global economic and financial conditions could materially adversely affect (i) our ability to raise, or the cost of, needed capital, (ii) demand for our current and future products and (iii) our ability to commercialize products. We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any economic slowdown or subsequent economic recovery, worldwide, or in the display industry.

THE LOSS OF THE SERVICERS OF OUR KEY EMPLOYEES, PARTICULARLY THE SERVICES RENDERED BY OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND DIRECTOR, MR. BERGE ABAJIAN, COULD HARM OUR BUSINESS.

We believe our success will depend, to a significant extent, on the efforts and abilities of Berge Abajian, our Chief Executive Officer. If we lost Mr. Abajian, we would be forced to expend significant time and money in the pursuit of a replacement, which would result in both a delay in the implementation of our business plan and the diversion of limited working capital. We can give you no assurance that we could find a satisfactory replacement for Mr. Abajian at all, or on terms that are not unduly expensive or burdensome.

OUR FUTURE SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON, IN LARGE PART, OUR CONTINUING ABILITY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

If we grow and implement our business plan, we will need to add managerial talent to support our business plan. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in adding such managerial talent. These professionals are regularly recruited by other companies and may choose to change companies. Given our relatively small size compared to some of our competitors, the performance of our business may be more adversely affected than our competitors would be if we lose well-performing employees and are unable to attract new ones.

BECAUSE WE INTEND TO OPEN NEW RETAIL STORES AND SUCH ACTIVITY INVOLVES A NUMBER OF RISKS, OUR BUSINESS MAY SUFFER.

We may consider acquisitions of assets or other business.  Any acquisition or opening of another retail store or other operations involves a number of risks that could fail to meet our expectations and adversely affect our profitability.  For example:

If these problems arise, we may not realize the expected benefits of an acquisition.

BECAUSE THE JEWELRY INDUSTRY IN GENERAL IS AFFECTED BY FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICES OF PRECIOUS METALS AND PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, WE COULD EXPERIENCE INCREASED OPERATING COSTS THAT WILL AFFECT OUR BOTTOM LINE.

The availability and prices of gold, diamonds, and other precious metals and precious and semi-precious stones may be influenced by cartels, political instability in exporting countries and inflation.

Shortages of these materials or sharp changes in their prices could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. A significant change in prices of key commodities, including gold, could adversely affect our business or reduce operating margins and impact consumer demand if retail prices increased significantly, even though we historically incorporate any increases in the purchase of raw materials to our consumers. Additionally, a significant disruption in our supply of gold or other commodities could decrease the production and shipping levels of our products, which may materially increase our operating costs and ultimately affect our profit margins.

BECAUSE WE DEPEND ON OUR ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND RESPOND TO FASHION TRENDS, IF WE MISJUDGE THESE TRENDS, OUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN AND GAIN MARKET SHARE WILL BE AFFECTED.

The jewelry industry is subject to rapidly changing fashion trends and shifting consumer demands. Accordingly, our success may depend on the priority that our target customers place on fashion and our ability to anticipate, identify, and capitalize upon emerging fashion trends. If we misjudge fashion trends or are unable to adjust our products in a timely manner, our net sales may decline or fail to meet expectations and any excess inventory may be sold at lower prices.

OUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN OR INCREASE OUR REVENUES COULD BE HARMED IF WE ARE UNABLE TO STRENGTHEN AND MAINTAIN OUR BRAND IMAGE.

We have spent significant amounts of time and money in branding our Bergio and Bergio Bridal lines. We believe that primary factors in determining customer buying decisions, especially in the jewelry industry, are determined by price, confidence in the merchandise and quality associated with a brand. The ability to differentiate products from competitors of the Company has been a factor in attracting consumers. However, if the Company’s ability to promote its brand fails to garner brand recognition, its ability to generate revenues may suffer. If the Company fails to differentiate its products, its ability to sell its products wholesale will be adversely affected. These factors could result in lower selling prices and sales volumes, which could adversely affect its financial condition and results of operations.

IF WE WERE TO EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL DEFAULTS BY OUR CUSTOMERS ON ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, THIS COULD HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR LIQUIDITY AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

If customers responsible for a large amount of accounts receivable were to become insolvent or otherwise unable to pay for our products, or to make payments in a timely manner, our liquidity and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. An economic or industry downturn could materially affect the ability to collect these accounts receivable, which could then result in longer payment cycles, increased collections costs and defaults in excess of management’s expectations. A significant deterioration in the ability to collect on accounts receivable could affect our cash flow and working capital position.

WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO INCREASE SALES OR OTHERWISE SUCCESSFULLY OPERATE OUR BUSINESS, WHICH COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION.

We believe that the key to our success is to increase our revenues and available cash. We may not have the resources required to promote our business and its potential benefits. If we are unable to gain market acceptance of our business, we will not be able to generate enough revenue to achieve and maintain profitability or to continue our operations.

We may not be able to increase our sales or effectively operate our business. To the extent we are unable to achieve sales growth, we may continue to incur losses. We may not be successful or make progress in the growth and operation of our business. Our current and future expense levels are based on operating plans and estimates of future sales and revenues and are subject to increase as strategies are implemented. Even if our sales grow, we may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected revenue shortfall.

Further, if we substantially increase our operating expenses to increase sales and marketing, and such expenses are not subsequently followed by increased revenues, our operating performance and results would be adversely affected and, if sustained, could have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent we implement cost reduction efforts to align our costs with revenue, our sales could be adversely affected.

WE MAY NEED ADDITIONAL FINANCING WHICH WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN ON ACCEPTABLE TERMS. IF WE ARE UNABLE TO RAISE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL, AS NEEDED, THE FUTURE GROWTH OF OUR BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS COULD BE SEVERELY LIMITED.

A limiting factor on our growth is our limited capitalization, which could impact our ability to execute on our business plan. If we raise additional capital through the issuance of debt, this will result in increased interest expense. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the percentage ownership of the Company held by existing shareholders will be reduced and our shareholders may experience significant dilution. In addition, new securities may contain rights, preferences or privileges that are senior to those of our Common Stock. If additional funds are raised by the issuance of debt or other equity instruments, we may become subject to certain operational limitations (for example, negative operating covenants). There can be no assurance that acceptable financing necessary to further implement our business plan can be obtained on suitable terms, if at all. Our ability to develop our business, fund expansion, develop or enhance products or respond to competitive pressures, could suffer if we are unable to raise the additional funds on acceptable terms, which would have the effect of limiting our ability to increase our revenues or possibly attain profitable operations in the future.

WE MAY BE UNABLE TO MANAGE GROWTH, WHICH MAY IMPACT OUR POTENTIAL PROFITABILITY.

Successful implementation of our business strategy requires us to manage our growth. Growth could place an increasing strain on our management and financial resources. To manage growth effectively, we will need to:

If we fail to manage our growth effectively, our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially harmed, and our stock price may decline.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

OUR COMMON STOCK IS CURRENTLY QUOTED ON THE OTC MARKETS (PINK SHEETS), WHICH MAY HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE IMPACT ON OUR STOCK PRICE AND LIQUIDITY.  

Our common stock is quoted on the Pink Sheets, an over-the-counter electronic quotation system maintained by the OTC Markets.  The quotation of our shares on the Pink Sheets may result in a less liquid market available for existing and potential stockholders to trade shares of our common stock, could depress the trading price of our common stock and could have a long-term adverse impact on our ability to raise capital in the future.

THERE IS LIMITED LIQUIDITY ON THE PINK SHEETS, WHICH ENHANCES THE VOLATILE NATURE OF OUR EQUITY.  

When fewer shares of a security are being traded on the Pink Sheets, volatility of prices may increase and price movement may outpace the ability to deliver accurate quote information.  Due to lower trading volumes in shares of our common stock, there may be a lower likelihood that orders for shares of our common stock will be executed, and current prices may differ significantly from the price that was quoted at the time of entry of the order.

OUR COMMON STOCK IS CONSIDERED A “PENNY STOCK,” AND IS SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL SALE AND TRADING REGULATIONS THAT MAY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SELL.

Our common stock is considered to be a “penny stock” since it does not qualify for one of the exemptions from the definition of “penny stock” under Section 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act. Our common stock is a “penny stock” because it meets one or more of the following conditions (i) the stock trades at a price less than $5.00 per share; (ii) it is not traded on a “recognized” national exchange; (iii) it is not quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market, or even if so, has a price less than $5.00 per share; or (iv) is issued by a company that has been in business less than three years with net tangible assets less than $5 million.

The principal result or effect of being designated a “penny stock” is that securities broker-dealers participating in sales of our common stock will be subject to the “penny stock” regulations set forth in Rules 15-2 through 15g-9 promulgated under the Exchange Act. For example, Rule 15g-2 requires broker-dealers dealing in penny stocks to provide potential investors with a document disclosing the risks of penny stocks and to obtain a manually signed and dated written receipt of the document at least two business days before effecting any transaction in a penny stock for the investor’s account. Moreover, Rule 15g-9 requires broker-dealers in penny stocks to approve the account of any investor for transactions in such stocks before selling any penny stock to that investor.

This procedure requires the broker-dealer to (i) obtain from the investor information concerning his or her financial situation, investment experience and investment objectives; (ii) reasonably determine, based on that information, that transactions in penny stocks are suitable for the investor and that the investor has sufficient knowledge and experience as to be reasonably capable of evaluating the risks of penny stock transactions; (iii) provide the investor with a written statement setting forth the basis on which the broker-dealer made the determination in (ii) above; and (iv) receive a signed and dated copy of such statement from the investor, confirming that it accurately reflects the investor's financial situation, investment experience and investment objectives. Compliance with these requirements may make it more difficult and time consuming for holders of our common stock to resell their shares to third parties or to otherwise dispose of them in the market or otherwise.

OUR CURRENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND SOLE DIRECTOR, MR. BERGE ABAJIAN HAS SUFFICIENT VOTING POWER TO CONTROL THE VOTE ON SUBSTANTIALLY ALL CORPORATE MATTERS.

Berge Abajian, our chief executive officer and sole director has sufficient voting power to control the vote on substantially all corporate matters. Accordingly, Mr. Abajian will be able to determine the composition of our board of directors, will retain the effective voting power to approve all matters requiring shareholder approval, will prevail in matters requiring shareholder approval, including, in particular the election and removal of directors, and will continue to have significant influence over our business. As a result of his ownership and position in the Company, Mr. Abajian is able to influence all matters requiring shareholder action, including significant corporate transactions.

TRADING OF OUR STOCK MAY BE RESTRICTED BY THE U.S. SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION’S PENNY STOCK REGULATIONS, WHICH MAY LIMIT A STOCKHOLDER’S ABILITY TO BUY AND SELL OUR STOCK.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted regulations which generally define “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price (as defined) less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Our securities are covered by the penny stock rules, which impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than established customers and “accredited investors”. The term “accredited investor” refers generally to institutions with assets in excess of $5,000,000 or individuals with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 jointly with their spouse. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document in a form prepared by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer and salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally or in writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer in writing before or with the customer’s confirmation. In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for the stock that is subject to these penny stock rules. Consequently, these penny stock rules may affect the ability of broker-dealers to trade our securities. We believe that the penny stock rules discourage investor interest in and limit the marketability of our common stock.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A LIMITED ACCOUNTING STAFF, AND IF WE FAIL TO DEVELOP OR MAINTAIN AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF INTERNAL CONTROLS, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REPORT OUR FINANCIAL RESULTS TIMELY AND ACCURATELY OR PREVENT FRAUD, WHICH WOULD LIKELY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE MARKET PRICE OF OUR COMMON UNITS.

We are subject to the public reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable and timely financial reports, prevent fraud and to operate successfully as a publicly traded partnership.

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting and principles generally accepted in the United States, but our internal accounting controls may not meet all standards applicable to companies with publicly traded securities.  Our efforts to develop and maintain our internal controls may not be successful, and we may be unable to maintain effective controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future or to comply with our obligations under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which we refer to as Section 404. For example, Section 404 requires us, among other things, to annually review and report on, and our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to, the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.  Based on management’s evaluation, as of December 31, 2021, our management concluded that we had several material weaknesses related to our internal controls over financial reporting (See Item 9A).

THE MARKET PRICE FOR OUR COMMON SHARES IS PARTICULARLY VOLATILE GIVEN OUR STATUS AS A RELATIVELY UNKNOWN COMPANY WITH A SMALL AND THINLY TRADED PUBLIC FLOAT, LIMITED OPERATING HISTORY AND LACK OF PROFITS WHICH COULD LEAD TO WIDE FLUCTUATIONS IN OUR SHARE PRICE. YOU MAY BE UNABLE TO SELL YOUR COMMON SHARES AT OR ABOVE YOUR PURCHASE PRICE, WHICH MAY RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL LOSSES TO YOU.

The market for our common shares is characterized by significant price volatility when compared to the shares of larger, more established companies that trade on a national securities exchange and have large public floats, and we expect that our share price will continue to be more volatile than the shares of such larger, more established companies for the indefinite future. The volatility in our share price is attributable to a number of factors. First, as noted above, our common shares are, compared to the shares of such larger, more established companies, sporadically and thinly traded. As a consequence of this limited liquidity, the trading of relatively small quantities of shares by our shareholders may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction. The price for our shares could, for example, decline precipitously in the event that a large number of our common shares are sold on the market without commensurate demand. Secondly, we are a speculative or “risky” investment due to our limited operating history and lack of profits to date, and uncertainty of future market acceptance for our potential products. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-adverse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at greater discounts than would be the case with the stock of a larger, more established company that trades on a national securities exchange and has a large public float. Many of these factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our common shares, regardless of our operating performance. We cannot make any predictions or projections as to what the prevailing market price for our common shares will be at any time, including as to whether our common shares will sustain their current market prices, or as to what effect that the sale of shares or the availability of common shares for sale at any time will have on the prevailing market price.

WE WILL INCUR INCREASED COSTS AS A RESULT OF BEING A PUBLIC COMPANY, WHICH COULD AFFECT OUR PROFITABILITY AND OPERATING RESULTS.

We voluntarily file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) and the rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board have imposed various requirements on public companies, including requiring changes in corporate governance practices. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities of ours more time-consuming and costly. We expect to spend between $50,000 and $100,000 in legal and accounting expenses annually to comply with our SEC reporting obligations and Sarbanes-Oxley. These costs could affect profitability and our results of operations.

WE HAVE NOT PAID DIVIDENDS IN THE PAST AND DO NOT EXPECT TO PAY DIVIDENDS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. ANY RETURN ON INVESTMENT MAY BE LIMITED TO THE VALUE OF OUR COMMON STOCK.

No cash dividends have been paid on the Company’s common stock. We expect that any income received from operations will be devoted to our future operations and growth. The Company does not expect to pay cash dividends in the near future. Payment of dividends would depend upon our profitability at the time, cash available for those dividends, and other factors as the Company’s board of directors may consider relevant. If the Company does not pay dividends, the Company’s common stock may be less valuable because a return on an investor’s investment will only occur if the Company’s stock price appreciates.