ITEM 6. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION
INTRODUCTION
Concurrent with the
February 2, 2005 deployment of our new www.GoMoGear.com e-commerce
website, as more fully discussed below, we principally became an
Internet-based retailer of a broad and diversified offering of various
consumer electronics with an emphasis on products that are portable or
mobile. Prior thereto, and since 1998, we were a more narrowly-focused
wholesaler and, to a lesser extent, Internet-based retailer through our
www.ibizpda.com e-commerce website, of various accessories primarily
intended for use with Personal Digital Assistants ("PDAs"). We continue
to conduct substantially all of our non-research and development related
activities through our wholly-owned subsidiary, iBIZ, Inc. (hereinafter,
"iBIZ, Inc.").
As a result of our
January 20, 2004 acquisition of Synosphere, LLC (hereinafter, "Synosphere"),
as more fully discussed below, we subsequently have engaged in
significant activities directed at, among other efforts, further
developing certain of the acquired technologies. We currently conduct
substantially all of
our product research and
development activities through Synosphere, now as a wholly-owned
subsidiary of ours.
With the exception of the
aforementioned warranty-related technical support services, the only
other services we performed during the fiscal years reported herein were
pursuant to maintenance agreements associated with our technical
servicing and support of computer terminals and printers for financial
institutions, which business we no longer actively market or pursue. Our
maintenance service revenues, which constituted 5.7% of our total
consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2004, will
likely continue to decrease in future fiscal years.
OUR RECENT
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS
Business Evolution - On
February 2, 2005, we deployed a second e-commerce website at
www.GoMoGear.com.. This website currently features approximately 5,000
consumer electronics products available to us on a non-exclusive basis
through a significant new vendor relationship with DBL Distributing,
Inc., a privately-held, wholesale distributor of consumer electronics
based in Scottsdale, Arizona. This site additionally offers, as does our
www.ibizpda.com website, approximately one-hundred and thirty
accessories for PDAs that we procure on a non-exclusive basis from a
number of other vendors. Our product offerings on www.GoMoGear.com
currently range in complexity and price from disposable batteries with a
suggested retail price of $0.99 at the low end to sophisticated color
printers with a suggested retail price of $4,999.95 at the high-end. Our
current product offering on www.GoMoGear.com emphasizes, consistent with
our prior emphasis of PDA accessories, consumer electronics products and
related accessories that are portable or mobile, such as MP3 players,
DVD players, digital cameras and GPS devices.
Acquisition of Synosphere
- On January 20, 2004, we acquired all of the outstanding membership
interests in Synosphere, a Texas-based limited liability
development-stage company, pursuing the development of certain handheld
computing technologies, in exchange for 30.0 million shares of our
common stock. As the technological feasibility of each of the acquired
technologies had yet to be fully established as of the acquisition date,
the aggregate $1.2 million purchase price, based on the then prevailing
market price of our common stock, was immediately reflected within our
results of operations for our fiscal 2004 first quarter ended January
31, 2004. Subsequent to the acquisition, we have engaged in significant
activities directed at further developing certain of the acquired
technologies.
OUR CRITICAL
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following discussions
of our consolidated results of operations and financial condition,
including our liquidity and capital resources, are based upon our
consolidated financial statements as included elsewhere in this filing.
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
requires us to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts and timing of revenue and expenses, the reported
amounts and classification of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities. Our actual results have differed, and
will likely continue to differ, to some extent from our initial
estimates and assumptions. We currently believe that the following
accounting policies entail making particularly difficult, subjective or
complex judgments of inherently uncertain matters that, given any
reasonably possible variance therein, would make such policies
particularly critical to a materially accurate portrayal of our
historical or reasonably foreseeable financial condition or results of
operations:
o Revenue Recognition for
Product Sales and Related Allowances for Sales Returns and Rebates. In
accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101, "Revenue
Recognition in Financial Statements," we recognize a product sale,
including related shipping and handling income, and the cost of the
sale, upon product shipment provided that all material risks and rewards
of ownership are concurrently transferred from us to our customer,
collection of the related receivable by us is reasonably assured, and we
are able to reliably estimate appropriate allowances for probable sales
returns and rebates based on our relevant historical experience and
future expectations. We unconditionally accept product returns during
the initial thirty days following the date of sale. We periodically
offer promotional rebates of a limited duration, typically one week, on
certain product sales, for which we outsource the processing and
tracking of related customer submissions. The periodic provisions made
by us to establish and maintain appropriate allowances for sales returns
and rebates are charged to our results of operations via offsets to our
gross product sales. Actual sales returns and rebates realized by us are
charged against the related allowances with any favorable or unfavorable
experience, as compared to our preceding estimates, having a
corresponding impact on our results of operations.
o Accounts Receivable and
Related Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. In addition to corresponding
reductions made for the allowances for sales returns and rebates, as
discussed above, we further reduce our consolidated accounts receivable
by an appropriate allowance for accounts where doubt exists in our
opinion, based on known specifics or the passage of time, as to their
ultimate
collectability. We
routinely offer our customers payment terms that range from 30 to 60
days. We do not access interest on, nor do we require any securing
collateral of, past due customer balances. The periodic provisions made
by us to establish and maintain an appropriate allowance for doubtful
accounts are charged to our results of operations via increases to our
selling, general and administrative expenses. Actual collection
experience realized by us on previously designated doubtful accounts,
including final determinations of uncollectability, is charged against
the allowance for doubtful accounts with any favorable or unfavorable
experience, as compared to our preceding estimates, having a
corresponding impact on our results of operations.
o Inventories. Our
consolidated inventories, which consist solely of finished products
available for sale, are stated at the lower of average cost or market,
reduced by an appropriate allowance estimated by us for probable
obsolescence. We record an allowance for obsolescence based on our
historical experience and future expectations. The periodic provisions
made by us to establish and maintain an appropriate allowance for
obsolescence are charged to our results of operations via increases to
our cost of goods sold. Actual disposition experience realized by us on
previously designated obsolete inventory is charged against the
allowance for obsolescence with any favorable or unfavorable experience,
as compared to our preceding estimates, having a corresponding impact
our its results of operations.
o Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets. We evaluate, on at least a quarterly basis, each of
our long-lived assets for impairment by comparing our then estimate of
its related future cash flows, on an undiscounted basis, to its net book
value. If impairment is indicated, we reduce the net book value of the
asset to an amount equal to our estimate of related future cash flows,
on an appropriately discounted basis, with a corresponding impairment
charge to our results of operations.
o Convertible Debt
Securities. We have periodically issued debentures that have
non-detachable conversion features. In those instances where the stated
conversion price reflects a discount from the then prevailing market
price for our common stock, we make, at the date of the debenture
issuance, an estimate as to the fair value of this beneficial conversion
feature. The value assigned to the beneficial conversion feature is then
immediately recognized in our results of operations via an
interest/financing charge with a corresponding incremental credit to
additional paid-in capital.
o Non-Cash Equity
Issuances. We periodically issue shares of our common stock in exchange
for, or in settlement of, services. Our management values the shares
issued in such transactions at either the then market price of our
common stock, after taking into consideration factors such as the volume
of shares issued or trading restrictions, or the value of the services
received, whichever is more readily determinable. We also issue options,
at a discount from market, for services. Our management values such
options using Black Scholes.
OUR CONSOLIDATED
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our consolidated total
revenues for the year ended October 31, 2004 ("fiscal 2004 year end")
were $368,650, a decrease of $116,732, or 24%, as compared to $485,382
for the year ended October 31, 2003 ("fiscal 2003 year end"). Our
product sales constituted 94% of our consolidated total revenues for the
fiscal year end as compared to 93% of our consolidated total revenues
for the fiscal year end, respectively. Our maintenance revenues, which
constituted the balance of our consolidated total revenues for each
respective fiscal period, will continue to decrease in future fiscal
periods as we no longer actively market or pursue maintenance services.
Our product sales were
$347,544 for the fiscal 2004 year end, a decrease of $106,253, or 23%,
as compared to $453,797 in product sales for the fiscal 2003 year end.
We substantially attribute the preceding decrease to sales of our
pocketRADIOs, which we began shipping to customers in late October 2003.
The pocketRADIOs accounted for approximately 38% of our product sales in
fiscal 2004 year end and approximately 53% of our product sales in
fiscal 2003 year end. Sales of our Travel Kits represented 10% ($37,045)
of our sales in the fiscal 2004 year end and 16%($78,019) of our sales
in the fiscal 2003 year end. Although to a significantly lesser extent,
we also realized incremental decrease in product sales from our XELA
Keyboard, which we began shipping to customers in March 2003. Sale of
our XELA Keyboard accounted for approximately 6% and 8% of our sales in
fiscal 2004 and 2003 year end, respectively. Offsetting these decreases
was an increase in sales of our KeySync Keyboard. Sales from our KeySync
Keyboards accounted for approximately 9% ($32,942) during the fiscal
2004 year end while they only accounted for approximately 4% ($18,821)
of our sales during the fiscal 2003 year end. Variances in the average
prices realized by us on products in existence during both fiscal
periods did not have a significant impact, favorably or unfavorably, on
the overall net increase in our product sales for the fiscal years ended
October 31, 2004 and 2003.
We incurred consolidated
gross losses of $335,812 for the fiscal year end and consolidated gross
loss of $33,621 for the fiscal 2003 year end.. In turn, these
consolidated gross losses equated to negative gross margins of 91% for
the fiscal 2004 year end and a negative gross margin of 7% for the
fiscal year end. Our fiscal 2004 consolidated gross loss and negative
gross margin were attributable to gross losses of $324,925, and a
resulting negative gross margin of 93%, on our product sales during the
fiscal 2004 year end. Our fiscal 2003 year end consolidated gross loss
and negative gross margin was attributable to gross loss of $43,478 and
a resulting negative gross margin of 10%. We principally attribute the
preceding gross losses and negative gross margins on our product sales
to our inability, given our continuing reduction of product sales, to
leverage our allocable direct labor ($179,505 or 25% of Cost of Revenues
in the fiscal 2004 year end). In addition, during 2004 we experienced an
increase cost of revenues due to the write off of obsolete inventory
($139,214, or 20% of Costs of Revenues).
Our consolidated total
operating expenses were $13,097,485 for the fiscal 2004 year end, an
increase of $10,312,943, or 370%, from the $2,784,542 incurred during
the fiscal 2003 year end. As further detailed below, this overall
increase in our operating expenses primarily was attributable to
non-cash charges incurred for stock-based officer bonuses and the
write-down of certain intellectual property rights and molds.
Our consolidated SG&A
expenses were $3,501,397 for the fiscal 2004 year, an increase of
$1,887,142, or 117%, from the $1,614,255 incurred during the fiscal 2003
year. We incurred a 85% increase in our payroll costs from the fiscal
year ended 2003 of $590,505 to $1,287,543. This is a direct result of
the inclusion of Synosphere's operations, including $672,500 (paid in
stock) in sign-on and contractual performance bonuses for the key
officers of Synosphere. We also experienced substantial increases in our
consulting and legal fees ($1,192,226 and $281,183 for the fiscal years
ended 2004 and 2003, respectively) as we continue to pay consultants and
attorneys with common stock in order to reduce cash outlays. See
discussion below where we have accounted for Consulting Fess paid with
stock options as a separate line item in our Consolidated Statement of
Losses included in this filing. The expenses for consultants and
attorneys have increased as a result of our efforts to expand our
business and search for new opportunities. Our accounting and auditing
fees increased due to the additional work to meet SEC filing
requirements and respond to SEC comment letters on our filings in 2004
($251,538 and $179,390 for the fiscal years 2004 and 2003,
respectively). We have also accrued $100,000 as a potential penalty for
our failure to fulfill a sales contract in our fiscal quarter ended
April 30, 2004.
Our consolidated selling,
general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses were $1,614,255 for fiscal
2003, an increase of $212,192, or 15.1%, from the $1,402,063 incurred
during fiscal 2002.Despite the relatively modest net change in our SG&A
expenses, their composition varied significantly. We incurred
substantial dollar and percentage increases in our accounting and
auditing fees during fiscal 2003 as a result of the proposed spin-off of
our iBIZ, Inc. subsidiary, as previously discussed, and, to a lesser
extent, the increased outsourcing of our accounting and financial
functions and the required implementation of certain provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. To a significantly lesser dollar extent, we
incurred a substantial percentage increase in our depreciation and
amortization expenses as a result of our fiscal 2002 purchases of
intellectual property rights and property and equipment, in our
advertsing expenses as a result of marketing activities associated with
the introductions of our pocketRADIOs and XELA Keyboards, and in our
sales expenses as a result of our transitioning to incrementally more
expensive, yet more variable in nature, external commissioned field
sales representatives. Substantially offsetting the preceding were
significant dollar and percentage expense decreases realized primarily
as a result of the non-recurrence of significant fiscal 2002 charges
associated with our then outsourcing of billing and collection functions
and various legal consultations made in connection with certain business
ventures then under consideration, certain proposals to settle then
outstanding debt obligations, and the contemplated changes in certain
businesses. As a result of ongoing working capital constraints, our two
officers continued to receive during fiscal 2003 only sporadic payments
of salaries which often were in amounts less that that stipulated for in
their respective employment contracts. Additionally, our other employees
periodically experienced delays in the payment of their salaries or
wages due to cash shortfalls. In recognition of the resulting personal
hardships that were imposed and in an effort to retain these remaining
critical employees, particularly given of minimal staffing, we deemed it
critical to award retention bonuses during fiscal 2003. As the retention
bonuses paid to our two officers principally took the form of common
stock issuances, $1,045,287, or 82.1%, of the overall $1,273,189 bonus
compensation charge to our fiscal 2003 results of operations was
non-cash in nature. We similarly awarded $114,713 in stock-based
retention bonuses to our two officers during fiscal 2002. During our
fiscal 2003 fourth quarter, we recognized a $125,000 impairment charge
related to the write-down of molds and intellectual property rights
underlying our XELA Keyboard which we acquired in July 2002. This
impairment was based on our then downwardly revised estimate of the
anticipated cash flows to be derived from future sales of our XELA
Keyboard as a result of lower than anticipated sales. We incurred no
such impairment charges during fiscal 2002.
Our consolidated research
and development ("R&D") expenses were $597,121 for the fiscal 2004 year.
These research and development costs are directly related to the
acquisition of Synosphere and their continuing efforts to develop new
products for introduction in the PDA marketplace. As noted in Note 14 to
the October 31, 2004 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
included in this filing, we have expensed the cost of our acquisition of
Synosphere, $1,200,000, as Acquired Research and Development costs. In
light of our continuing working capital constraints, we currently do not
anticipate performing any product research and development activities
during fiscal 2005. As such, we will remain materially dependent upon
procuring innovative and competitive products from external vendors. We
incurred no research and development expenses during fiscal 2003.
Our consolidated asset
impairment expenses were $652,281 for the fiscal 2004 year, an increase
of 422% or $527,281 from the $125,000 asset impairment experienced in
fiscal 2003. During fiscal 2004, we placed an initial purchase order
with Enterprise AG, ("Enterprise"), for a new virtual keyboard product
and remitted a required $400,000 deposit. When Enterprise subsequently
failed to deliver such keyboards, we filed a lawsuit in Israel against
Enterprise for breach of contract and demanding that the deposit be
immediately returned. However, we have uncertainties regarding our
ability to recover this deposit and deemed the asset as impaired and
wrote-off the $400,000 balance in its entirety. During fiscal 2004 we
also entered into a three-year agreement with Virtual Devices, Inc.,
("VDI"), pursuant to which we would be licensed to use certain patented
technologies of VDI applicable to handheld computing devices. We
submitted $200,000 of the required $300,000 payment to VDI in July 2004.
Due to cash constraints we have been unable to fulfill the cash
requirements of the agreement and continue with this agreement. We
deemed the licensed intellectual property rights to be impaired and
wrote-off the $200,000 unamortized balance in its entirety. During
fiscal 2004 Ttools, Inc., the licensor and vendor of our XELA keyboard
product filed a lawsuit against us for breach of contract. As a result
we deemed the underlying tooling and intellectual property rights as
impaired and wrote-off the then unamortized balance of $52,281 in its
entirety. Previously, during our fiscal 2003 year, we downwardly revised
our estimated cash flows from the XELA keyboard product and recognized a
$125,000 impairment charge to write-down the underlying tooling and
intellectual property rights.
During fiscal 2004, we
granted stock options to individuals in exchange for the following
consulting services. We valued the options granted using the
Black-Scholes stock option pricing model. The total fair value of the
options granted during fiscal 2004 was $6,969,186. Based on the
uncertainty of any future value of these agreements, we expensed the
value of the options in fiscal 2004.
November 2003 - Options
valued at $260,000 to purchase 200 million shares of common stock (at a
40% discount from market, as defined) were issued to D. Scott Elliott
for general business and financial consulting services to assist us with
our expansion plans and entry into other markets.
December 2003 - Options
valued at $60,000 to purchase 50 million shares of common stock (at a
15% discount form market, as defined) were issued to Jeffrey Firestone
for providing legal counsel on International issues in mergers and
acquisitions.
January 2004 - Options
valued at $4,450,000 to purchase 100 million shares of common stock (at
a 50% discount from market, as defined) were issued to Pangea
Investments GmbH for consulting and acquisition services in Europe and
Israel. Sam Elimalech, an officer of Enterprise Capital AG, is also a
member of Pangea Investments GmbH.
March 2004 - Options
valued at $1,616,186 to purchase 151,045,455 shares of common stock (at
a 20% discount from market, as defined) to D. Scott Elliott for general
business and financial consulting services to assist us with our
expansion plans and entry into other markets.
May 2004 - Options valued
at $492,000 to purchase 40,000,000 shares of common stock (at a 7.5%
discount from market, as defined) to Steven Green for financial
management, business management and business optimization through
mergers and acquisitions. These consulting services are offered for a
term of three years. Options to purchase 35,000,000 shares were
exercised in May 2004 resulting in the receipt of approximately
$345,000. The remaining 5,000,000 shares were deposited into an escrow
account (see Common Stock Held in Escrow above).
May 2004 - Options valued
at $91,000 to purchase 10,000,000 shares of common stock (at a 15%
discount from market, as defined) to Jeffrey Firestone for providing
legal counsel on International issues in mergers and acquisitions.
Options to purchase 10,000,000 shares were exercised in May 2004
resulting in the receipt of approximately $128,000.
During fiscal 2004, we
wrote-off $150,000 of a note receivable that we deemed uncollectible.
The original note arose when options to purchase 100 million shares of
common stock (at a 50% discount from market, as defined) were issued to
Pangea Investments GmbH (parent company of Enterprise Capital AG) on
January 28, 2004 for consulting and acquisition services in Europe and
Israel. Pursuant to the option agreement, we transferred 100 million
shares of our common stock into an escrow account pending payment of the
aggregate $1.5 million exercise price and note receivable. Through June
4, 2004, 15 million shares were issued upon receipt of $74,990 and the
application of $175,000 to the Deposit for the Virtual Keyboard product.
Subsequently, on June 23, 2004, we cancelled the above stock option in
light of non-performance of the required consulting services and
requested that the escrow agent return the above common shares. We then
recorded a $150,000 expense based on our estimated probable loss
relating to the share recovery.
Our resulting losses from
operations for the fiscal year ended 2004 was $13,433,297. The preceding
compares to losses from operations for the fiscal year ended 2003 of
$2,818,163, respectively.
Our non-operating other
income primarily consist of gains on settlements of debenture and vendor
obligations and miscellaneous other income. During the fiscal 2004 year
we realized non-cash aggregate gains of $232,583 on settlements of
debenture obligations. The balance of our non-operating income and
expenses items, including interest income, were inconsequential to our
consolidated results of operations. Our non-operating expenses primarily
consist of interest expense, including non-cash charges attributable to
the non-detachable beneficial conversion feature of newly issued
debentures. Our interest expense was $211,328 for the fiscal 2004 year,
a decrease of $1,521,265, or 88%, from the $1,732,593 incurred during
the fiscal 2003 year. This decrease is due to $1,379,077 of beneficial
conversion features of debentures issued during the fiscal 2003 year.
These charges were not repeated during fiscal 2004.
Primarily as a result of
the foregoing, we incurred a net loss of $13,389,175 ($0.01) per basic
and diluted share) in fiscal 2004 as compared to a net loss of
$4,462,182 ($0.02 per basic and diluted share) in fiscal 2003.
Our future ability to
achieve profitability in any given future fiscal period remains highly
contingent upon us realizing significantly increased product sales
sufficient to leverage our non-variable, likely to be recurring
expenses. For instance, our ability to achieve gross profits and
positive gross margins in any given future fiscal period remains highly
contingent upon us being able to leverage through significant
incremental product sales the non-variable direct labor and overhead
components of our costs of goods sold. Similarly, our ability to realize
income from operations is further dependent upon our ability to
additionally leverage through significant incremental sales our SG&A
expenses, the majority of which currently are non-variable and recurring
in nature. To the extent that we incur other less frequent or
non-recurring operating expenses, as in fiscal 2003, we will require
additional incremental product sales in order to leverage them. Lastly,
our ability to realize net income and net income per common share
remains highly contingent upon us being able to leverage through
incremental product sales any significant net non-operating expenses,
such as charges for the beneficial conversion features of any issued
debentures and our interest expense on any outstanding debt.
Correspondingly, our ability to realize significant incremental product
sales in any given future fiscal period remains highly contingent upon
us obtaining significant equity infusions and/or long-term debt
financing sufficient to fund the increased and sustained campaign of
marketing and advertising activities we believe necessary to build broad
consumer awareness of, and demand for, our PDA accessories. Even if we
were to be successful in procuring such funding, there can be no
assurance that we will be successful in our marketing and advertising
efforts, and that we will subsequently realize the significant
incremental product sales we require.
OUR CONSOLIDATED
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
OUR OVERVIEW
During the course of
transitioning our Company over the last several years from our
discontinued computer service businesses to our current business of
marketing and distributing various accessories primarily intended for
use with PDAs, we have incurred substantial operating and net losses, as
well as negative operating cash flows. As of our fiscal year ended
October 31, 2004, our working capital deficit was $3,423,584 and our
stockholders' deficit was $3,373,445. Such reflects a decrease from our
preceding fiscal year ended October 31, 2003 when our working capital
deficit was $6,093,514 and our stockholders' deficit was $6,716,685. We
had a nominal unrestricted cash balance of only $88 at October 31, 2004,
as compared to $2,140 at October 31, 2003.
We had outstanding
convertible debentures with an aggregate principal face amount of
$863,675 at October 31, 2004, of which $863,675 is currently due and
payable. During December 2004, the remaining debentures balances and
accrued interest thereon were converted into common stock and,
accordingly, are considered paid in full.
OUR CONSOLIDATED CASH
FLOWS
Our operating activities
utilized $2,476,216 in cash during the fiscal 2004 year end, an increase
of $1,692,570, or 216%, from the $783,646 in cash utilized . . .