R ISK FACTORS

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk, and you should be able to bear the complete loss of your investment. You should carefully consider the risks described below and, the other information in the documents incorporated by reference herein when evaluating our company and our business. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business could be harmed. In such case, the trading price of our Common Stock could decline and investors could lose all or a part of the money paid to buy our securities.

 

RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS

 

Because we have recently acquired several businesses and significantly increased our investment in our green coffee business, it is difficult to predict to what extent we will be able to maintain or improve our current level of revenues and profitability.

 

No assurances can be given as to the amount of future revenue or profits that we may generate. Until recently, our business was comprised primarily of the direct sales of Youngevity® health products. In the last four years, we completed 20 business acquisitions of companies in the direct selling line of business, substantially increasing our Youngevity® health and wellness product lines. It is too early to predict whether consumers will accept, and continue to use on a regular basis, the products we added from these new acquisitions since we have had limited recent operating history as a combined entity. In addition, we continue to expand our coffee business product line with the single-serve K-Cup® manufacturing capabilities and our investment in the green coffee business. It is too early to predict the results of these investments. In addition, since each acquisition involves the addition of new distributors and new products, it is difficult to assess whether initial product sales of any new product acquired will be maintained, and if sales by new distributors will be maintained.

 

There is substantial risk about our ability to continue as a going concern, which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing.

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2017 have been prepared and presented on a basis assuming we will continue as a going concern. We have sustained significant operating losses during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 of $4,893,000, compared to operating income during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 of $3,263,000. The losses as of September 30, 2017 were primarily due to lower than anticipated revenues, increases in legal fees, distributor events and sales and marketing costs. Net cash used in operating activities was $1,783,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. Based on our current cash levels as of September 30, 2017, our current rate of cash requirements, we will need to raise additional capital and we will need to significantly reduce our expenses from current levels to be able to continue as a going concern. There can be no assurance that we can raise capital upon favorable terms, if at all, or that we can significantly reduce our expenses.

 

The failure to comply with the terms of our outstanding Notes could result in a default under the terms of the notes and, if uncured, it could potentially result in action against the pledged assets of the Company.

 

We currently have outstanding 2015 Notes which are convertible notes in the principal amount of $3,000,000 that we issued to investors in November 2015 that are secured by certain of our assets and those of CLR other than its inventory and accounts receivable. We have also issued an additional $4,750,000 in principal amount of 2014 Notes. The 2014 Private Placement is secured by CLR’s pledge of the Nicaragua green coffee beans acquired with the proceeds, the contract rights under a letter of intent and all proceeds of the foregoing (which lien is junior to CLR’s factoring agreement and equipment lease but senior to all of its other obligations), In July and August of 2017, we issued 2017 Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $7,254,349, all of which are outstanding. Stephan Wallach, our Chief Executive Officer, has also personally guaranteed the repayment of the 2015 Notes and the 2014 Notes, and has agreed not to sell, transfer or pledge 30 million shares of our common stock that he owns so long as his personal guaranty is in effect. The 2015 Notes mature in 2018, the 2014 Notes mature in 2019 and the 2017 Notes mature in 2020. The 2015 Notes and the 2014 Notes require us, among other things, to maintain the security interest given by CLR for the notes and all of the notes require us to make quarterly installments of interest, reserve a sufficient number of our shares of common stock for conversion requests and honor any conversion requests made by the investors to convert their notes into shares of our common stock. If we fail to comply with the terms of the notes, the note holders could declare a default under the notes and if the default were to remain uncured, as secured creditors they would have the right to proceed against the collateral secured by the loans. Any action by secured creditors to proceed against CLR assets or our assets would likely have a serious disruptive effect on our coffee and direct selling operations.

 

We identified a material weakness in our internal controls in prior periods, and we cannot provide assurances that additional material weaknesses will not occur in the future. If our internal control over financial reporting or our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, prevent fraud, or file our periodic reports in a timely manner, which may cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and may lead to a decline in our stock price.

 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a- 15(f) under the Exchange Act. Due to an error in our Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2016, and the quarters ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016, September 30, 2016 and March 31, 2017, we have restated our Statements of Cash Flows for such prior periods and certain related matters. Although we have added an additional review process that we believe has eliminated the identified material weakness in our internal controls, there can be no assurances that additional material weaknesses will not occur in the future.

 

Our business is difficult to evaluate because we have recently expanded our product offering and customer base.

 

We have recently expanded our operations, engaging in the sale of new products through new distributors. There is a risk that we will be unable to successfully integrate the newly acquired businesses with our current management and structure. Although we are based in California, several of the businesses we acquired are based in other places such as Utah and Florida, making the integration of our newly acquired businesses difficult. In addition, our dry-processing plant and coffee plantation is located overseas in the country of Nicaragua. Our estimates of capital, personnel and equipment required for our newly acquired businesses are based on the historical experience of management and businesses they are familiar with. Our management has limited direct experience in operating a business of our current size as well as one that is publicly traded.

 

 

 

 

We may have difficulty managing our future growth.

 

Since we initiated our network marketing sales channel in fiscal 1997, our business has grown significantly. This growth has placed substantial strain on our management, operational, financial and other resources. If we are able to continue to expand our operations, we may experience periods of rapid growth, including increased resource requirements. Any such growth could place increased strain on our management, operational, financial and other resources, and we may need to train, motivate, and manage employees, as well as attract management, sales, finance and accounting, international, technical, and other professionals. Any failure to expand these areas and implement appropriate procedures and controls in an efficient manner and at a pace consistent with our business objectives could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, the financing for any of future acquisitions could dilute the interests of our stockholders; resulting in an increase in our indebtedness or both. Future acquisitions may entail numerous risks, including:

 

●	difficulties in assimilating acquired operations or products, including the loss of key employees from acquired businesses and disruption to our direct selling channel;
●	diversion of management's attention from our core business;
●	adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers; and
●	risks of entering markets in which we have limited or no prior experience.

 

Our failure to successfully complete the integration of any acquired business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates or consummate acquisitions on favorable terms.

  

We generate a substantial portion of our revenue from the sale of The Beyond Tangy Tangerine line, Osteo-fx line and, Ultimate EFA line of products. A decrease in sales of these products could seriously harm our business.

 

A significant portion of our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2016 and the nine months ended September 30, 2017, approximately 50%, was derived from sales of our Beyond Tangy Tangerine line, Osteo-fx line and Ultimate EFA line of products. Any disruption in the supply of the raw materials used for these problems, any negative press associated with these products or manufacture and sale of competitive products, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

 

Our business is subject to strict government regulations.

 

The processing, formulation, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, advertising, and distribution of our products are subject to federal laws and regulation by one or more federal agencies, including the FDA, the FTC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency. These activities are also regulated by various state, local, and international laws and agencies of the states and localities in which our products are sold. Government regulations may prevent or delay the introduction, or require the reformulation, of our products, which could result in lost revenues and increased costs to us. For instance, the FDA regulates, among other things, the composition, safety, labeling, and marketing of dietary supplements (including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary ingredients for human use). The FDA may not accept the evidence of safety for any new dietary ingredient that we may wish to market, may determine that a particular dietary supplement or ingredient presents an unacceptable health risk, and may determine that a particular claim or statement of nutritional value that we use to support the marketing of a dietary supplement is an impermissible drug claim, is not substantiated, or is an unauthorized version of a “health claim.”

 

Any of these actions could prevent us from marketing particular dietary supplement products or making certain claims or statements of nutritional support for them. The FDA could also require us to remove a particular product from the market. Any future recall or removal would result in additional costs to us, including lost revenues from any additional products that we are required to remove from the market, any of which could be material. Any product recalls or removals could also lead to liability, substantial costs, and reduced growth prospects. With respect to FTC matters, if the FTC has reason to believe the law is being violated (e.g. failure to possess adequate substantiation for product claims), it can initiate an enforcement action. The FTC has a variety of processes and remedies available to it for enforcement, both administratively and judicially, including compulsory process authority, cease and desist orders, and injunctions. FTC enforcement could result in orders requiring, among other things, limits on advertising, consumer redress, and divestiture of assets, rescission of contracts, or such other relief as may be deemed necessary. Violation of these orders could result in substantial financial or other penalties. Any action against us by the FTC could materially and adversely affect our ability to successfully market our products.

 

Additional or more stringent regulations of dietary supplements and other products have been considered from time to time. These developments could require reformulation of some products to meet new standards, recalls or discontinuance of some products not able to be reformulated, additional record-keeping requirements, increased documentation of the properties of some products, additional or different labeling, additional scientific substantiation, adverse event reporting, or other new requirements. Any of these developments could increase our costs significantly. For example, the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (S.3546), which was passed by Congress in December 2006, imposes significant regulatory requirements on dietary supplements including reporting of “serious adverse events” to FDA and recordkeeping requirements. This legislation could raise our costs and negatively impact our business. In June 2007, the FDA adopted final regulations on GMPs in manufacturing, packaging, or holding dietary ingredients and dietary supplements, which apply to the products we manufacture and sell. These regulations require dietary supplements to be prepared, packaged, and held in compliance with certain rules. These regulations could raise our costs and negatively impact our business. Additionally, our third-party suppliers or vendors may not be able to comply with these rules without incurring substantial expenses. If our third-party suppliers or vendors are not able to timely comply with these new rules, we may experience increased cost or delays in obtaining certain raw materials and third-party products. Also, the FDA has announced that it plans to publish guidance governing the notification of new dietary ingredients. Although FDA guidance is not mandatory, it is a strong indication of the FDA’s current views on the topic discussed in the guidance, including its position on enforcement.

 

Unfavorable publicity could materially hurt our business.

 

We are highly dependent upon consumers’ perceptions of the safety, quality, and efficacy of our products, as well as similar products distributed by other companies, including other direct selling companies. Future scientific research or publicity may not be favorable to our industry or any particular product. Because of our dependence upon consumer perceptions, adverse publicity associated with illness or other adverse effects resulting from the consumption of our product or any similar products distributed by other companies could have a material adverse impact on us. Such adverse publicity could arise even if the adverse effects associated with such products resulted from failure to consume such products as directed. Adverse publicity could also increase our product liability exposure, result in increased regulatory scrutiny and lead to the initiation of private lawsuits.

 

Product returns may adversely affect our business.

 

We are subject to regulation by a variety of regulatory authorities, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. The failure of our third-party manufacturers to produce merchandise that adheres to our quality control standards could damage our reputation and brands and lead to customer litigation against us. If our manufacturers are unable or unwilling to recall products failing to meet our quality standards, we may be required to remove merchandise or issue voluntary or mandatory recalls of those products at a substantial cost to us. We may be unable to recover costs related to product recalls. We also may incur various expenses related to product recalls, including product warranty costs, sales returns, and product liability costs, which may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. While we maintain a reserve for our product warranty costs based on certain estimates and our knowledge of current events and actions, our actual warranty costs may exceed our reserve, resulting in a need to increase our accruals for warranty costs in the future.

 

 

In addition, selling products for human consumption such as coffee and energy drinks involve a number of risks. We may need to recall some of our products if they become contaminated, are tampered with or are mislabeled. A widespread product recall could result in adverse publicity, damage to our reputation, and a loss of consumer confidence in our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business results and the value of our brands. We also may incur significant liability if our products or operations violate applicable laws or regulations, or in the event our products cause injury, illness or death. In addition, we could be the target of claims that our advertising is false or deceptive under U.S. federal and state laws as well as foreign laws, including consumer protection statutes of some states. Even if a product liability or consumer fraud claim is unsuccessful or without merit, the negative publicity surrounding such assertions regarding our products could adversely affect our reputation and brand image.

 

Returns are part of our business. Our return rate since the inception of selling activities has been minimal. We replace returned products damaged during shipment wholly at our cost, which historically has been negligible. Future return rates or costs associated with returns may increase. In addition, to date, product expiration dates have not played any role in product returns; however, it is possible they will increase in the future.

 

A general economic downturn, a recession globally or in one or more of our geographic regions or sudden disruption in business conditions or other challenges may adversely affect our business and our access to liquidity and capital.

 

A downturn in the economies in which we sell our products, including any recession in one or more of our geographic regions, or the current global macro-economic pressures, could adversely affect our business and our access to liquidity and capital. Recent global economic events over the past few years, including job losses, the tightening of credit markets and failures of financial institutions and other entities, have resulted in challenges to our business and a heightened concern regarding further deterioration globally. We could experience declines in revenues, profitability and cash flow due to reduced orders, payment delays, supply chain disruptions or other factors caused by economic or operational challenges. Any or all of these factors could potentially have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and capital resources, including our ability to issue commercial paper, raise additional capital and maintain credit lines and offshore cash balances. An adverse change in our credit ratings could result in an increase in our borrowing costs and have an adverse impact on our ability to access certain debt markets, including the commercial paper market.

 

Consumer spending is also generally affected by a number of factors, including general economic conditions, inflation, interest rates, energy costs, gasoline prices and consumer confidence generally, all of which are beyond our control. Consumer purchases of discretionary items, such as beauty and related products, tend to decline during recessionary periods, when disposable income is lower, and may impact sales of our products. We face continued economic challenges in fiscal 2017 because customers may continue to have less money for discretionary purchases as a result of job losses, foreclosures, bankruptcies, reduced access to credit and sharply falling home prices, among other things.

 

In addition, sudden disruptions in business conditions as a result of a terrorist attack similar to the events of September 11, 2001, including further attacks, retaliation and the threat of further attacks or retaliation, war, adverse weather conditions and climate changes or other natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, pandemic situations or large scale power outages can have a short or, sometimes, long-term impact on consumer spending.

 

We face significant competition.

 

We face competition from competing products in each of our lines of business, in both the domestic and international markets. Worldwide, we compete against products sold to consumers by other direct selling and direct sales companies and through the Internet, and against products sold through the mass market and prestige retail channels. We also face increasing competition in our developing and emerging markets.

 

Within the direct selling channel, we compete on a regional and often country-by-country basis, with our direct selling competitors. There are also a number of direct selling companies that sell product lines similar to ours, some of which also have worldwide operations and compete with us globally. We compete against large and well-known companies that manufacture and sell broad product lines through various types of retail establishments. Our largest direct sales competitors are Herbalife, Amway, USANA Health Sciences and NuSkin Enterprises. In the energy drink market we compete with companies such as Red Bull, Gatorade and Rock Star. Our beauty, skin care and cosmetic products compete with Avon and Bare Essentials. In addition, we compete against many other companies that manufacture and sell in narrower product lines sold through retail establishments. This industry is highly competitive and some of our principal competitors in the industry are larger than we are and have greater resources than we do. Competitive activities on their part could cause our sales to suffer. From time to time, we need to reduce the prices for some of our products to respond to competitive and customer pressures or to maintain our position in the marketplace. Such pressures also may restrict our ability to increase prices in response to raw material and other cost increases. Any reduction in prices as a result of competitive pressures, or any failure to increase prices when raw material costs increase, would harm profit margins and, if our sales volumes fail to grow sufficiently to offset any reduction in margins, our results of operations would suffer.

 

 

 

If our advertising, promotional, merchandising, or other marketing strategies are not successful, if we are unable to deliver new products that represent technological breakthroughs, if we do not successfully manage the timing of new product introductions or the profitability of these efforts, or if for other reasons our end customers perceive competitors' products as having greater appeal, then our sales and financial results may suffer.

 

If we do not succeed in effectively differentiating ourselves from our competitors’ products, including by developing and maintaining our brands or our competitors adopt our strategies, then our competitive position may be weakened and our sales, and accordingly our profitability, may be materially adversely affected.

 

We are also subject to significant competition from other network marketing organizations for the time, attention, and commitment of new and existing distributors. Our ability to remain competitive depends, in significant part, on our success in recruiting and retaining distributors. There can be no assurance that our programs for recruiting and retaining distributors will be successful. The pool of individuals who may be interested in network marketing is limited in each market, and it is reduced to the extent other network marketing companies successfully recruit these individuals into their businesses. Although we believe we offer an attractive opportunity for distributors, there can be no assurance that other network marketing companies will not be able to recruit our existing distributors or deplete the pool of potential distributors in a given market.

 

Our coffee segment also faces strong competition. The coffee industry is highly competitive and coffee is widely distributed and readily available. Our competition will seek to create advantages in many areas including better prices, more attractive packaging, stronger marketing, more efficient production processes, speed to market, and better quality verses value opportunities. Many of our competitors have stronger brand recognition and will reduce prices to keep our brands out of the market. Our competitors may have more automation built into their production lines allowing for more efficient production at lower costs. We compete not only with other widely advertised branded products, but also with private label or generic products that generally are sold at lower prices. Consumers’ willingness to purchase our products will depend upon our ability to maintain consumer confidence that our products are of a higher quality and provide greater value than less expensive alternatives. If the difference in quality between our brands and private label products narrows, or if there is a perception of such a narrowing, then consumers may choose not to buy our products at prices that are profitable for us.

 

Our success depends, in part, on the quality and safety of our products.

 

Our success depends, in part, on the quality and safety of our products, including the procedures we employ to detect the likelihood of hazard, manufacturing issues, and unforeseen product misuse. If our products are found to be, or are perceived to be, defective or unsafe, or if they otherwise fail to meet our distributors' or end customers' standards, our relationship with our distributors or end customers could suffer, we could need to recall some of our products, our reputation or the appeal of our brand could be diminished, and we could lose market share and or become subject to liability claims, any of which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

Our ability to anticipate and respond to market trends and changes in consumer preferences could affect our financial results.

 

Our continued success depends on our ability to anticipate, gauge, and react in a timely and effective manner to changes in consumer spending patterns and preferences. We must continually work to discover and market new products, maintain and enhance the recognition of our brands, achieve a favorable mix of products, and refine our approach as to how and where we market and sell our products. While we devote considerable effort and resources to shape, analyze, and respond to consumer preferences, consumer spending patterns and preferences cannot be predicted with certainty and can change rapidly. If we are unable to anticipate and respond to trends in the market for beauty and related products and changing consumer demands, our financial results will suffer.

 

Furthermore, material shifts or decreases in market demand for our products, including as a result of changes in consumer spending patterns and preferences or incorrect forecasting of market demand, could result in us carrying inventory that cannot be sold at anticipated prices or increased product returns. Failure to maintain proper inventory levels or increased product returns could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

 

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, specifically patents and trademarks, our ability to compete could be negatively impacted.

 

Most of our products are not protected by patents. The labeling regulations governing our nutritional supplements require that the ingredients of such products be precisely and accurately indicated on product containers. Accordingly, patent protection for nutritional supplements often is impractical given the large number of manufacturers who produce nutritional supplements having many active ingredients in common. Additionally, the nutritional supplement industry is characterized by rapid change and frequent reformulations of products, as the body of scientific research and literature refines current understanding of the application and efficacy of certain substances and the interactions among various substances. In this respect, we maintain an active research and development program that is devoted to developing better, purer, and more effective formulations of our products. We protect our investment in research, as well as the techniques we use to improve the purity and effectiveness of our products, by relying on trade secret laws. Notwithstanding our efforts, there can be no assurance that our efforts to protect our trade secrets and trademarks will be successful. We intend to maintain and keep current all of our trademark registrations and to pay all applicable renewal fees as they become due. The right of a trademark owner to use its trademarks, however, is based on a number of factors, including their first use in commerce, and trademark owners can lose trademark rights despite trademark registration and payment of renewal fees. We therefore believe that these proprietary rights have been and will continue to be important in enabling us to compete and if for any reason we were unable to maintain our trademarks, our sales of the related products bearing such trademarks could be materially and negatively affected. Nor can there be any assurance that third-parties will not assert claims against us for infringement of their intellectual proprietary rights. If an infringement claim is asserted, we may be required to obtain a license of such rights, pay royalties on a retrospective or prospective basis, or terminate our manufacturing and marketing of our infringing products. Litigation with respect to such matters could result in substantial costs and diversion of management and other resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or operating results.

 

We consider our roasting methods essential to the flavor and richness of our coffee and, therefore, essential to our various brands. Because our roasting methods cannot be patented, we would be unable to prevent competitors from copying our roasting methods, if such methods became known. If our competitors copy our roasting methods, the value of our brands could be diminished and we could lose customers to our competitors. In addition, competitors could develop roasting methods that are more advanced than ours, which could also harm our competitive position.

 

We may become involved in the future in legal proceedings that, if adversely adjudicated or settled, could adversely affect our financial results.

 

We are a party to litigation at the present time and may become party to litigation in the future. In general, litigation claims can be expensive and time consuming to bring or defend against and could result in settlements or damages that could significantly affect financial results. However, it is not possible to predict the final resolution of any litigation to which we are, or may be party to, and the impact of certain of these matters on our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be material.

 

Government reviews, inquiries, investigations, and actions could harm our business or reputation.

 

As we operate in various locations around the world, our operations in certain countries are subject to significant governmental scrutiny and may be harmed by the results of such scrutiny. The regulatory environment with regard to direct selling in emerging and developing markets where we do business is evolving and officials in such locations often exercise broad discretion in deciding how to interpret and apply applicable regulations. From time to time, we may receive formal and informal inquiries from various government regulatory authorities about our business and compliance with local laws and regulations. Any determination that our operations or activities or the activities of our distributors, are not in compliance with existing laws or regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, interruptions of business, loss of supplier, vendor or other third party relationships, termination of necessary licenses and permits, or similar results, all of which could potentially harm our business and or reputation. Even if an inquiry does not result in these types of determinations, it potentially could create negative publicity which could harm our business and or reputation.

 

The loss of key management personnel could adversely affect our business.

 

Our founder, Dr. Joel Wallach, is a highly visible spokesman for our products and our business, and our message is based in large part on his vision and reputation, which helps distinguish us from our competitors. Any loss or limitation on Dr. Wallach as a lead spokesman for our mission, business, and products could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, or results of operations. In addition, our executive officers, including Stephan Wallach and David Briskie, are primarily responsible for our day-to-day operations, and we believe our success depends in part on our ability to retain our executive officers, to compensate our executive officers at attractive levels, and to continue to attract additional qualified individuals to our management team. We cannot guarantee continued service by our key executive officers. We do not maintain key man life insurance on any of our executive officers. The loss or limitation of the services of any of our executive officers or the inability to attract additional qualified management personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

 

The inability to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials for products at favorable prices, or at all, or the inability to obtain certain products from third-party suppliers or from our manufacturers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

We contract with third-party manufacturers and suppliers for the production of some of our products, including most of our powdered drink mixes and nutrition bars, and certain of our personal care products. These third-party suppliers and manufacturers produce and, in most cases, package these products according to formulations that have been developed by, or in conjunction with, our in-house product development team. There is a risk that any of our suppliers or manufacturers could discontinue manufacturing our products or selling their products to us. Although we believe that we could establish alternate sources for most of our products, any delay in locating and establishing relationships with other sources could result in product shortages or back orders for products, with a resulting loss of net sales. In certain situations, we may be required to alter our products or to substitute different products from another source. We have, in the past, discontinued or temporarily stopped sales of certain products that were manufactured by third parties while those products were on back order. There can be no assurance that suppliers will provide the raw materials or manufactured products that are needed by us in the quantities that we request or at the prices that we are willing to pay. Because we do not control the actual production of certain raw materials and products, we are also subject to delays caused by any interruption in the production of these materials, based on conditions not within our control, including weather, crop conditions, transportation interruptions, strikes by supplier employees, and natural disasters or other catastrophic events.

 

Shortages of raw materials may temporarily adversely affect our margins or our profitability related to the sale of those products.

 

We may experience temporary shortages of the raw materials used in certain of our nutritional products. While we periodically experience price increases due to unexpected raw material shortages and other unanticipated events, this has historically not resulted in a material effect on our overall cost of goods sold. However, there is no assurance that our raw materials will not be significantly adversely affected in the future, causing our profitability to be reduced. A deterioration of our relationship with any of our suppliers, or problems experienced by these suppliers, could lead to inventory shortages. In such case, we may not be able to fulfill the demand of existing customers, supply new customers, or expand other channels of distribution. A raw material shortage could result in decreased revenue or could impair our ability to maintain or expand our business.

 

A failure of our information technology systems would harm our business.

 

The global nature of our business and our seamless global compensation plan requires the development and implementation of robust and efficiently functioning information technology systems. Such systems are vulnerable to a variety of potential risks, including damage or interruption resulting from natural disasters, telecommunication failures, and human error or intentional acts of sabotage, vandalism, break-ins and similar acts. Although we have adopted and implemented a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, which includes routine back-up, off-site archiving and storage, and certain redundancies, the occurrence of any of these events could result in costly interruptions or failures adversely affecting our business and the results of our operations.

 

We are dependent upon access to external sources of capital to grow our business.

 

Our business strategy contemplates future access to debt and equity financing to fund the expansion of our business. The inability to obtain sufficient capital to fund the expansion of our business could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our business is subject to online security risks, including security breaches.

 

Our businesses involve the storage and transmission of users’ proprietary information, and security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, litigation, and potential liability. An increasing number of websites, including several large companies, have recently disclosed breaches of their security, some of which have involved sophisticated and highly targeted attacks on portions of their sites. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems, change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. A party that is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate our or our customers’ proprietary information, cause interruption in our operations, damage our computers or those of our customers, or otherwise damage our reputation and business. Any compromise of our security could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant legal and financial exposure, damage to our reputation, and a loss of confidence in our security measures, which could harm our business.

 

Currently, a significant number of our customers authorize us to bill their credit card accounts directly for all transaction fees charged by us. We rely on encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties to provide the security and authentication to effectively secure transmission of confidential information, including customer credit card numbers. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments may result in the technology used by us to protect transaction data being breached or compromised. Non-technical means, for example, actions by a suborned employee, can also result in a data breach.

 

 

 

Under payment card rules and our contracts with our card processors, if there is a breach of payment card information that we store, we could be liable to the payment card issuing banks for their cost of issuing new cards and related expenses. In addition, if we fail to follow payment card industry security standards, even if there is no compromise of customer information, we could incur significant fines or lose our ability to give customers the option of using payment cards to fund their payments or pay their fees. If we were unable to accept payment cards, our business would be seriously damaged.

 

Our servers are also vulnerable to computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, “denial-of-service” type attacks and similar disruptions that could, in certain instances, make all or portions of our websites unavailable for periods of time. We may need to expend significant resources to protect against security breaches or to address problems caused by breaches. These issues are likely to become more difficult as we expand the number of places where we operate. Security breaches, including any breach by us or by parties with which we have commercial relationships that result in the unauthorized release of our users’ personal information, could damage our reputation and expose us to a risk of loss or litigation and possible liability. Our insurance policies carry coverage limits, which may not be adequate to reimburse us for losses caused by security breaches.

 

Our web customers, as well as those of other prominent companies, may be targeted by parties using fraudulent “spoof” and “phishing” emails to misappropriate passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal information or to introduce viruses or other malware programs to our customers’ computers. These emails appear to be legitimate emails sent by our company, but they may direct recipients to fake websites operated by the sender of the email or request that the recipient send a password or other confidential information via email or download a program. Despite our efforts to mitigate “spoof” and “phishing” emails through product improvements and user education, “spoof” and “phishing” remain a serious problem that may damage our brands, discourage use of our websites, and increase our costs.

 

Our ability to conduct business in international markets may be affected by political, legal, tax and regulatory risks.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2016 approximately 9% of our sales were derived from sales outside the United States. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017 approximately 11% of our sales were derived from sales outside the United States. Our green coffee business in based in Nicaragua. We own one plantation and intend to purchase another in Nicaragua. Our ability to capitalize on growth in new international markets and to maintain the current level of operations in our existing international markets is exposed to the risks associated with international operations, including:

 

●	the possibility that local civil unrest, political instability or changes in diplomatic or trade relationships might disrupt our operations in an international market;
●	the lack of well-established or reliable legal systems in certain areas;
●	the presence of high inflation in the economies of international markets;
●	the possibility that a foreign government authority might impose legal, tax or other financial burdens on us or our coffee operations, or sales force, due, for example, to the structure of our operations in various markets;
●	the possibility that a government authority might challenge the status of our sales force as independent contractors or impose employment or social taxes on our sales force; and
●	the possibility that governments may impose currency remittance restrictions limiting our ability to repatriate cash.

 

Currency exchange rate fluctuations could reduce our overall profits.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2016, approximately 9% of our sales were derived from sales outside the United States. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017 approximately 11% of our sales were derived from sales outside the United States. In preparing our consolidated financial statements, certain financial information is required to be translated from foreign currencies to the U.S. dollar using either the spot rate or the weighted-average exchange rate. If the U.S. dollar changes relative to applicable local currencies, there is a risk our reported sales, operating expenses, and net income could significantly fluctuate. We are not able to predict the degree of exchange rate fluctuations, nor can we estimate the effect any future fluctuations may have upon our future operations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging contracts or participated in any hedging or derivative activities.

 

 

 

Non-compliance with anti-corruption laws could harm our business.

 

Our international operations are subject to anti-corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”). Any allegations that we are not in compliance with anti-corruption laws may require us to dedicate time and resources to an internal investigation of the allegations or may result in a government investigation. Any determination that our operations or activities are not in compliance with existing anti-corruption laws or regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, and other penalties. Although we have implemented anti-corruption policies, controls and training globally to protect against violation of these laws, we cannot be certain that these efforts will be effective. We are aware that one of our direct marketing competitors is under investigation in the United States for allegations that its employees violated the FCPA in China and other markets. If this investigation causes adverse publicity or increased scrutiny of our industry, our business could be harmed.

 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR DIRECT SELLING BUSINESS

 

Independent distributor activities that violate laws could result in governmental actions against us and could otherwise harm our business.

 

Our independent distributors are independent contractors. They are not employees and they act independently of us. The network marketing industry is subject to governmental regulation. We implement strict policies and procedures to try to ensure that our independent distributors comply with laws. Any determination by the Federal Trade Commission or other governmental agency that we or our distributors are not in compliance with laws could potentially harm our business. Even if governmental actions do not result in rulings or orders against us, they could create negative publicity that could detrimentally affect our efforts to recruit or motivate independent distributors and attract customers.

 

Network marketing is heavily regulated and subject to government scrutiny and regulation, which adds to the expense of doing business and the possibility that changes in the law might adversely affect our ability to sell some of our products in certain markets.

 

Network marketing systems, such as ours, are frequently subject to laws and regulations, both in the United States and internationally, that are directed at ensuring that product sales are made to consumers of the products and that compensation, recognition, and advancement within the marketing organization are based on the sale of products rather than on investment in the sponsoring company. These laws and regulations are generally intended to prevent fraudulent or deceptive schemes, often referred to as “pyramid” schemes, which compensate participants for recruiting additional participants irrespective of product sales, use high pressure recruiting methods and or do not involve legitimate products. Complying with these rules and regulations can be difficult and requires the devotion of significant resources on our part. Regulatory authorities, in one or more of our present or future markets, could determine that our network marketing system does not comply with these laws and regulations or that it is prohibited. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations or such a prohibition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Further, we may simply be prohibited from distributing products through a network-marketing channel in some countries, or we may be forced to alter our compensation plan.

 

We are also subject to the risk that new laws or regulations might be implemented or that current laws or regulations might change, which could require us to change or modify the way we conduct our business in certain markets. This could be particularly detrimental to us if we had to change or modify the way we conduct business in markets that represent a significant percentage of our net sales.

 

 

Our principal business segment is conducted worldwide in one channel, direct selling and therefore any negative perceptive of direct selling would greatly impact our sales.

 

Our principal business segment is conducted worldwide in the direct selling channel. Sales are made to the ultimate consumer principally through independent distributors and customers worldwide. There is a high rate of turnover among distributors, which is a common characteristic of the direct selling business. As a result, in order to maintain our business and grow our business in the future, we need to recruit, retain and service distributors on a continuing basis and continue to innovate the direct selling model. Consumer purchasing habits, including reducing purchases of products generally, or reducing purchases from distributors or buying products in channels other than in direct selling, such as retail, could reduce our sales, impact our ability to execute our global business strategy or have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If our competitors establish greater market share in the direct selling channel, our business, financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected. Furthermore, if any government bans or severely restricts our business method of direct selling, our business, financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected.

 

Our ability to attract and retain distributors and to sustain and enhance sales through our distributors can be affected by adverse publicity or negative public perception regarding our industry, our competition, or our business generally. Negative public perception may include negative publicity regarding the sales structure of significant, pure network marketing companies which has been the case recently with large network marketing companies, the quality or efficacy of nutritional supplement products or ingredients in general or our products or ingredients specifically, and regulatory investigations, regardless of whether those investigations involve us or our distributors or the business practices or products of our competitors or other network marketing companies. Any adverse publicity may also adversely impact the market price of our stock and cause insecurity among our distributors. There can be no assurance that we will not be subject to adverse publicity or negative public perception in the future or that such adverse publicity will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

As a network marketing company, we are dependent upon an independent sales force and we do not have direct control over the marketing of our products.

 

We rely on non-employee, independent distributors to market and sell our products and to generate our sales. Distributors typically market and sell our products on a part-time basis and likely will engage in other business activities, some of which may compete with us. We have a large number of distributors and a relatively small corporate staff to implement our marketing programs and to provide motivational support to our distributors. We rely primarily upon our distributors to attract, train and motivate new distributors. Our sales are directly dependent upon the efforts of our distributors. Our ability to maintain and increase sales in the future will depend in large part upon our success in increasing the number of new distributors, retaining and motivating our existing distributors, and in improving the productivity of our distributors.

 

We can provide no assurances that the number of distributors will increase or remain constant or that their productivity will increase. Our distributors may terminate their services at any time, and, like most direct selling companies, we experience a high turnover among new distributors from year-to-year. We cannot accurately predict any fluctuation in the number and productivity of distributors because we primarily rely upon existing distributors to sponsor and train new distributors and to motivate new and existing distributors. Our operating results in other markets could also be adversely affected if we and our existing distributors do not generate sufficient interest in our business to successfully retain existing distributors and attract new distributors.

 

The loss of a significant Youngevity distributor could adversely affect our business.

 

We rely on the successful efforts of our distributors that become leaders. If these downline distributors in turn sponsor new distributors, additional business centers are created, with the new downline distributors becoming part of the original sponsoring distributor’s downline network. As a result of this network marketing system, distributors develop business relationships with other distributors. The loss of a key distributor or group of distributors, large turnover or decreases in the size of the key distributors force, seasonal or other decreases in purchase volume, sales volume reduction, the costs associated with training new distributors, and other related expenses may adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Moreover, our ability to continue to attract and retain distributors can be affected by a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:

 

●	General business and economic conditions;
●	Adverse publicity or negative misinformation about us or our products;
●	Public perceptions about network marketing programs;
●	High-visibility investigations or legal proceedings against network marketing companies by federal or state authorities or private citizens;
●	Public perceptions about the value and efficacy of nutritional, personal care, or weight management products generally;
●	Other competing network marketing organizations entering into the marketplace that may recruit our existing distributors or reduce the potential pool of new distributors; and
●	Changes to our compensation plan required by law or implemented for business reasons that make attracting and retaining distributors more difficult.

 

There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to attract and retain distributors in sufficient numbers to sustain future growth or to maintain our present growth levels, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

 

 

Nutritional supplement products may be supported by only limited availability of conclusive clinical studies.

 

Some of our products include nutritional supplements that are made from vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other substances for which there is a long history of human consumption. Other products contain innovative ingredients or combinations of ingredients. Although we believe that all of our products are safe when taken as directed, there is little long-term experience with human consumption of certain of these product ingredients or combinations of ingredients in concentrated form. We conduct research and test the formulation and production of our products, but we have performed or sponsored only limited clinical studies. Furthermore, because we are highly dependent on consumers' perception of the efficacy, safety, and quality of our products, as well as similar products distributed by other companies, we could be adversely affected in the event that those products prove or are asserted to be ineffective or harmful to consumers or in the event of adverse publicity associated with any illness or other adverse effects resulting from consumers' use or misuse of our products or similar products of our competitors.

 

Our manufacturers are subject to certain risks.

 

We are dependent upon the uninterrupted and efficient operation of our manufacturers and suppliers of products. Those operations are subject to power failures, the breakdown, failure, or substandard performance of equipment, the improper installation or operation of equipment, natural or other disasters, and the need to comply with the requirements or directives of government agencies, including the FDA. There can be no assurance that the occurrence of these or any other operational problems at our facilities would not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

Challenges by private parties to the direct selling system could harm our business.

 

Direct selling companies have historically been subject to legal challenges regarding their method of operation or other elements of their business by private parties, including their own representatives, in individual lawsuits and through class actions, including lawsuits claiming the operation of illegal pyramid schemes that reward recruiting over sales. We can provide no assurance that we would not be harmed if any such actions were brought against any of our current subsidiaries or any other direct selling company we may acquire in the future.

 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR COFFEE BUSINESS

 

Increases in the cost of high-quality arabica coffee beans or other commodities or decreases in the availability of high-quality arabica coffee beans or other commodities could have an adverse impact on our business and financial results.

 

We purchase, roast, and sell high-quality whole bean arabica coffee beans and related coffee products. The price of coffee is subject to significant volatility. The high-quality arabica coffee of the quality we seek tends to trade on a negotiated basis at a premium above the “C” price. This premium depends upon the supply and demand at the time of purchase and the amount of the premium can vary significantly. An increase in the “C” coffee commodity price does increase the price of high-quality arabica coffee and also impacts our ability to enter into fixed-price purchase commitments. We frequently enter into supply contracts whereby the quality, quantity, delivery period, and other negotiated terms are agreed upon, but the date, and therefore price, at which the base “C” coffee commodity price component will be fixed has not yet been established.

 

These are known as price-to-be-fixed contracts. We also enter into supply contracts whereby the quality, quantity, delivery period, and price are fixed. The supply and price of coffee we purchase can also be affected by multiple factors in the producing countries, including weather, natural disasters, crop disease, general increase in farm inputs and costs of production, inventory levels, and political and economic conditions, as well as the actions of certain organizations and associations that have historically attempted to influence prices of green coffee through agreements establishing export quotas or by restricting coffee supplies. Speculative trading in coffee commodities can also influence coffee prices. Because of the significance of coffee beans to our operations, combined with our ability to only partially mitigate future price risk through purchasing practices, increases in the cost of high-quality arabica coffee beans could have an adverse impact on our profitability. In addition, if we are not able to purchase sufficient quantities of green coffee due to any of the above factors or to a worldwide or regional shortage, we may not be able to fulfill the demand for our coffee, which could have an adverse impact on our profitability.

 

Adverse public or medical opinions about the health effects of consuming our products, as well as reports of incidents involving food-borne illnesses, food tampering, or food contamination, whether or not accurate, could harm our business.

 

Some of our products contain caffeine and other active compounds, the health effects of which are the subject of public scrutiny, including the suggestion that excessive consumption of caffeine and other active compounds can lead to a variety of adverse health effects. In the United States, there is increasing consumer awareness of health risks, including obesity, due in part to increased publicity and attention from health organizations, as well as increased consumer litigation based on alleged adverse health impacts of consumption of various food products, frequently including caffeine. An unfavorable report on the health effects of caffeine or other compounds present in our products, or negative publicity or litigation arising from certain health risks could significantly reduce the demand for our products.

 

Similarly, instances or reports, whether true or not, of food-borne illnesses, food tampering and food contamination, either during manufacturing, packaging or preparation, have in the past severely injured the reputations of companies in the food processing, grocery and quick-service restaurant sectors and could affect us as well. Any report linking us to the use of food tampering or food contamination could damage our brand value, severely hurt sales of our products, and possibly lead to product liability claims, litigation (including class actions) or damages. If consumers become ill from food-borne illnesses, tampering or contamination, we could also be forced to temporarily stop selling our products and consequently could materially harm our business and results of operations.

 

 

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES

 

This Offering is being conducted on a “best efforts” basis and does not require a minimum amount to be raised. As a result, we may not be able to raise enough funds to fully implement our business plan and our investors may lose their entire investment.

 

This Offering is on a “best efforts” basis and does not require a minimum amount to be raised. If we are not able to raise sufficient funds, we may not be able to fund our operations as planned, and our growth opportunities may be materially adversely affected. This could increase the likelihood that an investor may lose their entire investment.

 

Investors funds will be placed in escrow during the offering period and investors will not have use of their funds during the offering period .

 

The selling agent is offering the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock on a best efforts basis. No commitment by anyone exists to purchase all or any part of the shares offered hereby. Those investor's funds deposited by non-Banq investors will be held in escrow pending closing of this Offering and such funds may be escrowed for as long as 60 days (or longer if the selling agent extends the offering period). Investors will not have use of any funds paid for the shares during the offering period. See “Plan of Distribution.”

 

There is no public market for the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and prospective investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above the offering price, if at all.

 

There is no market for our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and no assurance can be given that an active trading market will develop for the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock or, if one does develop, that it will be maintained. We do not intend to apply for listing of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock on any securities exchange or other stock market. In the absence of a public trading market, an investor may be unable to liquidate his investment in our company. The offering price of this Offering is not indicative of future market prices.

 

The stock market in general may experience extreme price and volume fluctuations. Continued market fluctuations could result in extreme volatility in the price of the Common Stock, which could cause a decline in the value of the Common Stock and the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. Prospective investors should also be aware that price volatility may be worse if the trading volume of the Common Stock is low.

 

The liquidity of the trading market, if any, and future trading prices of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock will depend on many factors, including, among other things, the market price of our common stock, prevailing interest rates, our operating results, financial performance and prospects, the market for similar securities and the overall securities market, and may be adversely affected by unfavorable changes in these factors. It is possible that the market for the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock will be subject to disruptions which may have a negative effect on the holders of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, regardless of our operating results, financial performance or prospects.

 

If we raise at least $3,000,000 in this offering, shareholders will experience dilution from the automatic conversion of the 2017 Notes. In addition,   conversion of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock will dilute the ownership interest of existing stockholders, including holders who had previously converted their Series B Convertible Preferred Stock

 

To the extent we issue Common Stock upon conversion of the 2017 Notes or the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, such conversions will dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders, including holders who had previously converted their Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. Any sales in the public market of the Common Stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock could depress the price of the Common Stock.

 

Holders of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock have extremely limited voting rights.

 

The voting rights as a holder of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock   will be limited. Shares of the Common Stock are currently the only class of our securities carrying full voting rights. Voting rights for holders of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock   exist primarily with respect to voting on amendments to our charter that alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. See “Description of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock—Limited Voting Rights.”

 

The automatic conversion feature may not adequately compensate holders of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and may make it more difficult for a party to take over our company or discourage a party from taking over our company.

 

Upon the two-year anniversary of issuance, each share of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock automatically converts into two shares of Common Stock. See “Description of Securities - Preferred Stock Series B - Conversion Rights.” If the Common Stock price is less 50% of the price paid for each share of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, the value of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock will be less than the price paid for the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock excluding the merchandise credit.

 

 

Our ability to pay dividends is limited by the requirements of Delaware law.

 

Our ability to pay dividends on the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock is limited by the laws of Delaware. Under applicable Delaware law, a Delaware corporation generally may not make a distribution if, the corporation’s net assets (total assets minus total liabilities) do not exceed its capital. Accordingly, we generally may not make a distribution on the of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock if, we have not been able to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business or our total assets would be less than the sum of our total liabilities plus the par value of each share of issued stock.

 

Dividends on the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock will be taxable.

 

Income from “qualified dividends” payable to U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates are generally subject to tax at preferential rates.

 

We may allocate the net proceeds from this Offering in ways that you and other stockholders may not approve.

 

We currently intend to use the net proceeds of this Offering for general corporate purposes. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not necessarily improve our operating results or enhance the value of the Common Stock.

 

We are controlled by two principal stockholders who are also our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman and Chief Operating Officer and director.

 

Through their voting power, each Mr. Stephan Wallach, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and Michelle Wallach, our Chief Operating Officer and Director has the ability to elect a majority of our directors and to control all other matters requiring the approval of our stockholders, including the election of all of our directors. Mr. Wallach and Michelle Wallach, his wife, together beneficially own approximately 71.2% of our total equity securities (assuming exercise of the options to purchase Common Stock held by Mr. Wallach and Ms. Wallach). As our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wallach has the ability to control our business affairs.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” and any decision on our part to comply with certain reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies could make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act enacted in April 2012, and, for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, not being required to comply with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor's report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer, not being required to comply with any new audit rules adopted by the PCAOB after April 5, 2012 unless the SEC determines otherwise, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

 

We could remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of our first sale of common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer. We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards under Section 102(b)(2) of the Jobs Act, that allows us to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result of any choices to reduce future disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile. Further, as a result of these scaled regulatory requirements, our disclosure may be more limited than that of other public companies and you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of such companies.

 

Our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.

 

We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards under Section 102(b)(2) of the JOBS Act, that allows us to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.

 

 

Our stock has historically had a limited market. If an active trading market for our Common Stock does develop, trading prices may be volatile.

 

In the event that an active trading market develops, the market price of the shares of Common Stock may be based on factors that may not be indicative of future market performance. Consequently, the market price of the Common Stock may vary greatly. If an active market for the Common Stock develops, there is a significant risk that the stock price may fluctuate dramatically in the future in response to any of the following factors, some of which are beyond our control:

 

●	variations in our quarterly operating results;
●	announcements that our revenue or income/loss levels are below analysts’ expectations;
●	general economic slowdowns;
●	changes in market valuations of similar companies;
●	announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts; or
●	acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments.

 

We are subject to the reporting requirements of Federal Securities Laws, which can be expensive.

 

We are subject to the information and reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other federal securities laws, and the compliance obligations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The costs of preparing and filing annual and quarterly reports and other information with the SEC has and will continue to cause our expenses to be higher than they would be if we were a privately-held company.

 

Sales by our shareholders of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.

 

A large number of outstanding shares of Common Stock are held by two of our principal shareholders. If any of these principal shareholders were to decide to sell large amounts of stock over a short period of time such sales could cause the market price of the Common Stock to decline.

 

Our stock price has been volatile and subject to various market conditions.

 

The trading price of the Common Stock has been subject to wide fluctuations. The price of the Common Stock may fluctuate in the future in response to quarter-to-quarter variations in operating results, material announcements by us or our competitors, governmental regulatory action, conditions in the nutritional supplement industry, negative publicity, or other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, the stock market has historically experienced significant price and volume fluctuations, which have particularly affected the market prices of many dietary and nutritional supplement companies and which have, in certain cases, not had a strong correlation to the operating performance of these companies. Our operating results in future quarters may be below the expectations of securities analysts and investors. If that were to occur, the price of the Common Stock would likely decline, perhaps substantially.

 

We may issue preferred stock with rights senior to the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to five million shares of preferred stock without shareholder approval and on terms established by our directors. We may issue shares of preferred stock in order to consummate a financing or other transaction, in lieu of the issuance of Common Stock. The rights and preferences of any such class or series of preferred stock would be established by our board of directors in its sole discretion and may have dividend, voting, liquidation and other rights and preferences that are senior to the rights of the Common Stock.

 

You should not rely on an investment in our Common Stock for the payment of cash dividends.

 

We intend to retain future profits, if any, to expand our business. We have never paid cash dividends on the Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on the Common Stock in the foreseeable future. You should not make an investment in the Common Stock if you require dividend income. Any return on investment in the Common Stock would only come from an increase in the market price of our stock, which is uncertain and unpredictable.

 

We cannot assure you that the common stock will remain listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market.

 

The Common Stock is currently listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Although we currently meet the listing standards of the NASDAQ Capital Market, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain the continued listing standards of the NASDAQ Capital Market.  If we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of the NASDAQ Capital Market, such as the corporate governance requirements, minimum bid price requirement or the minimum stockholder’s equity requirement, the NASDAQ Capital Market may take steps to de-list our common stock. If we are delisted from the NASDAQ Capital Market then our common stock will trade, if at all, only on the over-the-counter market, such as the OTC Bulletin Board securities market, and then only if one or more registered broker-dealer market makers comply with quotation requirements. In addition, delisting of our common stock could depress our stock price, substantially limit liquidity of our common stock and materially adversely affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Delisting from the NASDAQ Capital Market could also have other negative results, including the potential loss of confidence by suppliers and employees, the loss of institutional investor interest and fewer business development opportunities.

 

 

 

The reverse stock split that was effected in June 2017 may decrease the liquidity of the shares of the Common Stock.

 

The liquidity of the Common Stock may be affected adversely by the reverse stock split given the reduced number of shares that are now outstanding. In addition, the reverse stock split increased the number of shareholders who own odd lots (less than 100 shares) of the Common Stock, creating the potential for such shareholders to experience an increase in the cost of selling their shares and greater difficulty effecting such sales.

 

Although we believe that a higher market price of the Common Stock may help generate greater or broader investor interest, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will result in a share price that will attract new investors, including institutional investors.

 

A majority of our directors are not required to be "independent" and several of our directors and officers have other business interests.

 

We qualify as a "controlled company" for listing purposes on the NASDAQ Capital Market because Stephen Wallach and Michelle Wallach will continue to hold in excess of 50% of our voting securities. As a controlled company, we qualify for certain exemptions to the NASDAQ Capital Market listing requirements, including the requirement that a majority of our directors be independent, and the requirements to have a compensation committee and a nominating/corporate governance committee, each composed of entirely independent directors. A majority of our directors are not currently "independent" under the NASDAQ Capital Market independence standards. This lack of "independence" may interfere with our directors' judgment in carrying out their responsibilities as directors.

 

Several of our directors have other business interests, including Richard Renton, Paul Sallwasser, William Thompson and Kevin Allodi. Those other interests may come into conflict with our interests and the interests of our shareholders. We may compete with these other business interests for such directors' time and efforts.

 

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management and limit the market price of our Common Stock.

 

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as amended and restated in connection with this Offering, may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control or changes in our management. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will include provisions that:

 

●	authorize our board of directors to issue Preferred Stock, without further stockholder action and with voting liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to our Common Stock; and
●	provide that vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by the vote of a majority of directors then in office, even though less than a quorum.

 

These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder. Any of the foregoing provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of Common Stock, and they could deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you would receive a premium for the Common Stock in an acquisition.

 

Our failure to fulfill all of our registration requirements may cause us to suffer liquidated damages, which may be very costly.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the registration rights agreement that we entered into with investors in our recent private placement offering, we are required to file a registration statement with respect to securities issued to them within a certain time period and maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement. The failure to do so could result in the payment of damages by us. There can be no assurance we will be able to maintain the effectiveness of any registration statement subject to certain conditions, and therefore there can be no assurance that we will not incur damages with respect to such agreements.

 

Reports published by securities or industry analysts, including projections in those reports that exceed our actual results, could adversely affect our Common Stock price and trading volume.

 

Securities research analysts, including those affiliated with our selling agents establish and publish their own periodic projections for our business. These projections may vary widely from one another and may not accurately predict the results we actually achieve. Our stock price may decline if our actual results do not match securities research analysts' projections. Similarly, if one or more of the analysts who writes reports on us downgrades our stock or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business or if one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, our stock price or trading volume could decline. While we expect securities research analyst coverage following this offering, if no securities or industry analysts begin to cover us, the trading price for our stock and the trading volume could be adversely affected.