UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 28, 2019

or

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 001-37575

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

641 Lexington Avenue

Suite 2701

New York, New York 10022

(Address of principal executive offices)

(646) 507-5710

(Registrant’s telephone number)

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:  Common Stock, par value $0.00001.

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of the chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the act):    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

As of June 28, 2019, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $9,198,756. based on the closing price (last sale of the day) for the registrant’s common stock on the Nasdaq exchange on June 28, 2019 of $1.56 per share.

As of May 11, 2020, 9,307,563 shares of common stock, $0.00001 par value, were outstanding.

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including, but not limited to, statements about our plans, strategies, adequacy of resources and future financial results (such as revenue, gross profit, operating profit, cash flow), are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by words like “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “goal,” “target,” “possible,” “potential” and similar references to future periods. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Because these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control or are subject to change, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: weakness in general economic conditions and levels of capital spending by customers in the industries we serve; weakness or volatility in the financial and capital markets, which may result in the postponement or cancellation of our customers' capital projects or the inability of our customers to pay our fees; the termination of a major customer contract or project; delays or reductions in U.S. government spending; credit risks associated with our customers; competitive market pressures; the availability and cost of qualified labor; our level of success in attracting, training and retaining qualified management personnel and other staff employees; changes in tax laws and other government regulations, including the impact of health care reform laws and regulations; the possibility of incurring liability for our business activities, including, but not limited to, the activities of our temporary employees; our performance on customer contracts; negative outcome of pending and future claims and litigation; government policies, legislation or judicial decisions adverse to our businesses; potential cost overruns and possible rejection of our business model and/or sales methods; our ability to access the capital markets by pursuing additional debt and equity financing to fund our business plan and expenses on terms acceptable to us or at all; and our ability to comply with our contractual covenants, including in respect of our debt. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We recommend readers to carefully review the entirety of this Annual Report, including the “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report and the other reports and documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), particularly our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K.

As used in this Annual Report, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Staffing 360” and the “Company” mean Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. All dollar amounts in this Annual Report are expressed in thousands except for share and per share values, unless otherwise indicated.

The disclosures set forth in this report should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto for the period ended December 28, 2019.

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” “Staffing 360,” or the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of Nevada on December 22, 2009, as Golden Fork Corporation, which changed its name to Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., ticker symbol “STAF”, on March 16, 2012. On June 15, 2017, the Company changed its domicile to the State of Delaware. As a rapidly growing public company in the international staffing sector, our high-growth business model is based on finding and acquiring, suitable, mature, profitable, operating, domestic and international staffing companies. Our targeted consolidation model is focused specifically on the accounting and finance, information technology (“IT”), engineering, administration and light industrial disciplines.

All amounts in this Annual Report are expressed in thousands, except share and per share amounts, or unless otherwise indicated.

Business Model and Acquisitions

We are a high-growth international staffing company engaged in the acquisition of United States (“U.S.”) and United Kingdom (“U.K.”) based staffing companies. Our services principally consist of providing temporary contractors, and, to a much lesser extent, the recruitment of candidates for permanent placement. As part of our consolidation model, we pursue a broad spectrum of staffing companies supporting primarily accounting and finance, IT, engineering, administration (collectively, the “Professional Business Stream”) and commercial (“Commercial Business Stream”) disciplines. Our typical acquisition model is based on paying consideration in the form of cash, stock, earn-outs and/or promissory notes. In furthering our business model, the Company is regularly in discussions and negotiations with various suitable, mature acquisition targets. To date, we have completed ten acquisitions since November 2013.

Change of Year End

On February 28, 2017, the board of directors (the “Board”) approved the change of the Company’s fiscal year end from May 31 to a 52-53-week year ending on the Saturday closest to the 31^st of December, effective December 31, 2016. On April 12, 2017, the Company filed a transition report (“Transition Report”), Form 10-K/T, for the period from June 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, (“Transition Period”). Following that Transition Report, we will file annual reports for each twelve-month period ending the Saturday closest to December 31 of each year beginning with December 30, 2017 (“Fiscal 2017”), which was filed on March 29, 2018. The prior year’s report was for the period from December 29, 2017 to December 29, 2018, “Fiscal 2018”. This report is for the period from December 30, 2018 to December 28, 2019, “Fiscal 2019”.

Operating History

The Company generated revenue of $278,478 and $260,926 for Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018, respectively. This growth has been achieved primarily through acquisitions.

Industry Background

The staffing industry is divided into three major segments: temporary staffing services, professional employer organizations (“PEOs”) and placement agencies. Temporary staffing services provide workers for limited periods, often to substitute for absent permanent workers or to help during periods of peak demand. These workers, who are often employees of the temporary staffing agency, will generally fill clerical, technical, or industrial positions. PEOs, sometimes referred to as employee leasing agencies, contract to provide workers to customers for specific functions, often related to human resource management. In many cases, a customer’s employees are hired by a PEO and then contracted back to the customer. Placement agencies, sometimes referred to as executive recruiters or headhunters, find workers to fill permanent positions at customer companies. These agencies may specialize in placing senior managers, mid-level managers, technical workers, or clerical and other support workers.

The Company considers itself a temporary staffing company within the broader staffing industry. However, the Company provides permanent placements at the request of existing clients and some consulting services clients.

Staffing companies identify potential candidates through online advertising and referrals, and interview, test and counsel workers before sending them to the customer for approval. Pre-employment screening can include skills assessment, drug tests and criminal background checks. The personnel staffing industry has been radically changed by the internet. Many employers list available positions with one or several internet personnel sites like www.monster.com or www.careerbuilder.com, and on their own sites. Personnel agencies operate their own sites and often still work as intermediaries by helping employers accurately describe job openings and by screening candidates who submit applications.

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Major end-use customers include businesses from a wide range of industries such as manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail. Marketing involves direct sales presentations, referrals from existing clients and advertising. Agencies compete both for customers and workers. Depending on market supply and demand at any given time, agencies may allocate more resources either to finding potential employers or potential workers. Permanent placement agencies work either on a retained or on a contingency basis. Clients may retain an agency for a specific job search or on contract for a specific period. Temporary staffing services charge customers a fixed price per hour or a standard markup on prevailing hourly rates.

For many staffing companies, demand is lower late in the fourth calendar quarter and early in the first calendar quarter, partly because of holidays, and higher during the rest of the year. Staffing companies may have high receivables from customers. Temporary staffing agencies and PEOs must manage a high cash flow because they funnel payroll payments from employers. Cash flow imbalances also occur because agencies must pay workers even though they haven't been paid by clients.

The revenue of staffing companies depends on the number of jobs they fill, which in turn can depend upon the economic environment. During economic slowdowns, many client companies stop hiring altogether. Internet employment sites expand a Company’s ability to find workers without the help of traditional agencies. Staffing companies often work as intermediaries, helping employers accurately describe job openings and screen candidates. Increasing the use of sophisticated, automated job description and candidate screening tools could make many traditional functions of personnel agencies obsolete. Free social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook are also becoming a common way for recruiters and employees to connect without the assistance of a staffing agency.

To avoid large placement agency fees, big companies may use in-house personnel staff, current employee referrals, or human resources consulting companies to find and hire new personnel. Because placement agencies typically charge a fee based on a percentage of the first year's salary of a new worker, companies with many jobs to fill have a financial incentive to avoid agencies.

Many staffing companies are small and may depend heavily on a few big customers for a large portion of revenue. Large customers may lead to increased revenue, but also expose agencies to higher risks. When major accounts experience financial hardships, and have less need for temporary employment services, agencies stand to lose large portions of revenue.

The loss of a staff member who handles a large volume of business may result in a large loss of revenue for a staffing company. Individual staff members, rather than the staffing company itself, often develop strong relationships with customers. Staff members who move to another staffing company are often able to move customers with them.

Some of the best opportunities for temporary employment are in industries traditionally active in seasonal cycles, such as manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail. However, seasonal demand for workers creates cash flow fluctuations throughout the year.

Staffing companies are regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and often by state authorities. Many federal anti-discrimination rules regulate the type of information that employment firms can request from candidates or provide to customers about candidates. In addition, the relationship between the agency and the temporary employees, or employee candidates may not always be clear, resulting in legal and regulatory uncertainty. PEOs are often considered co-employers along with the client, but the PEO is responsible for employee wages, taxes and benefits. State regulation aims to ensure that PEOs provide the benefits they promise to workers.

Trends in the Staffing Business

Start-up costs for a staffing company are very low. Individual offices can be profitable, but consolidation is driven mainly by the opportunity for large agencies to develop national relationships with big customers. Some agencies expand by starting new offices in promising markets, but most prefer to buy existing independent offices with proven staff and an existing customer roster.

At some companies, temporary workers have become such a large part of the workforce that staffing company employees sometimes work at the customer's site to recruit, train, and manage temporary employees. The Company has a number of onsite relationships with its customers. Staffing companies try to match the best qualified employees for the customer's needs, but often provide additional training specific to that company, such as instruction in the use of proprietary software.

Some personnel consulting firms and human resource departments are increasingly using psychological tests to evaluate potential job candidates. Psychological or liability testing has gained popularity, in part, due to recent fraud scandals. In addition to stiffer background checks, headhunters often check the credit history of prospective employees.

We believe the trends of outsourcing entire departments and dependence on temporary and leased workers will expand opportunities for staffing companies. Taking advantage of their expertise in assessing worker capabilities, some staffing companies manage their clients’ entire human resource functions. Human resources outsourcing (“HRO”) may include management of payroll, tax filings, and benefit

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administration services. HRO may also include recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”), whereby an agency manages all recruitment activities for a client.

New online technology is improving staffing efficiency. For example, some online applications coordinate workflow for staffing agencies, their clients and temporary workers, and allow agencies and customers to share work order requests, submit and track candidates, approve timesheets and expenses, and run reports. Interaction between candidates and potential employers is increasingly being handled online.

Initially viewed as rivals, some Internet job-search companies and traditional employment agencies are now collaborating. While some Internet sites do not allow agencies to use their services to post jobs or look through resumes, others find that agencies are their biggest customers, earning the sites a large percentage of their revenue. Some staffing companies contract to help client employers find workers online.

Competition

The Company’s staffing divisions face competition in attracting clients as well as temporary candidates. The staffing industry is highly competitive, with a number of firms offering services similar to those provided by the Company on a national, regional or local basis. In many areas, the local staffing companies are our strongest competitors. The most significant competitive factors in the staffing business are price and reliability of service. The Company believes its competitive advantage stems from its experience in niche markets, and commitment to the specialized employment market, along with its growing global presence.

The staffing industry is characterized by a large number of competing companies in a fragmented sector. Major competitors also exist across the sector, but as the industry affords low barriers to entry, new entrants are constantly introduced to the marketplace.

The top layer of competitors includes large corporate staffing and employment companies which have yearly revenue of $75 million or more. The next (middle) layer of the competition consists of medium-sized entities with yearly revenue of $10 million or more. The largest portion of the marketplace is the bottom layer of this competitive landscape consisting of small, individual-sized or family-run operations. As barriers to entry are low, sole proprietors, partnerships and small entities routinely enter the industry.

Employees

The Company employs approximately 270 full-time employees as part of our internal operations. Additionally, the Company employs more than 5,000 individuals that are placed directly with our clients through our various operating subsidiaries.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

There are numerous and varied risks that may prevent us from achieving our goals, including those described below. You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information included in this Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes. Our business, financial condition, and results of operations, could be harmed by any of the following risks. If any of the events or circumstances described below were to occur, our business, the financial condition and the results of operations could be materially adversely affected. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and investors could lose part or all of their investment. The risks below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We have incurred significant losses since our inception and may continue to incur losses and thus may never achieve or maintain profitability.

We have incurred substantial losses since our inception, anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may not achieve or sustain profitability. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the staffing industry, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses or when we will become profitable, if at all.  Expected future operating losses will have an adverse effect on our cash resources, stockholders’ equity and working capital. These factors individually and collectively raise a substantial doubt about or ability to continue as a going concern.

Our failure to become and remain profitable could depress the value of our stock and impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our development efforts, diversify our portfolio of staffing companies, or continue our operations. In addition, a substantial economic impact resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic could materially impact our operations. Developments such as social distancing and shelter-in-place directives have impacted the Company’s revenues in the months of March and April. Although the Company cannot estimate the length or gravity of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak at this time, if the pandemic continues, it may

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have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of future operations, financial position, and liquidity in fiscal year 2020. A decline in the value of our stock could also cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph in its report as of and for the year ended December 28, 2019 expressing substantial doubt in our ability to continue as a going concern based on our recurring and continuing losses from operations and our need for additional funding to continue operations and our susceptibility to economic downturns. Our consolidated financial statements as of December 28, 2019 do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this going concern uncertainty and have been prepared under the assumption that we will continue to operate as a going concern for the next twelve months, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. If we are unable to continue as a going concern we may be forced to liquidate our assets which would have an adverse impact on our business and developmental activities. In such a scenario, the values we receive for our assets in liquidation or dissolution could be significantly lower than the values reflected in our financial statements. The reaction of investors to the inclusion of a going concern statement by our independent registered public accounting firm and our potential inability to continue as a going concern may materially adversely affect our stock price and our ability to raise new capital or to enter into strategic alliances.

Our debt level could negatively impact our financial condition, results of operations and business prospects.

As of December 28, 2019, our total gross debt payables amount to approximately $58,700. Our level of debt could have significant consequences to our stockholders, including the following:

Our ability to make payments of principal and interest, or to refinance our indebtedness, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors. Our business is generating positive cash flow however it may not generate cash flow in the future sufficient to service our debt because of factors beyond our control, including but not limited to our ability to expand our operations. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations. A default on our debt obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may cause you to lose all or part of your investment.  

Further, our note issued to Jackson Investment Group LLC (“Jackson”) includes certain customary financial covenants and the Company has had instances of non-compliance. Management has historically been able to obtain from Jackson waivers of any non-compliance and management expects to continue to be able to obtain necessary waivers in the event of future non-compliance; however, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain such waivers, and should Jackson refuse to provide a waiver in the future, the outstanding debt under the agreement could become due immediately. Our financing with MidCap Funding X Trust (“MidCap”) includes customary financial covenants and the Company has had instances of non-compliance. The Company has been able to obtain forbearance of any non-compliance from MidCap, and management expects to continue to be able to obtain necessary forbearance in the event of future non-compliance; however, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain such forbearance, and should MidCap refuse to provide a forbearance in the future, the outstanding debt under the agreement could become due immediately, which exceeds our current cash balance.

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Our debt instruments and the certificate of designation for our Series E Preferred Stock contain covenants that could limit our financing options and liquidity position, which would limit our ability to grow our business.

Covenants in our debt instruments and the certificate of designations for our Series E Preferred Stock impose operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions prohibit or limit our ability to, among other things:

Our failure to comply with the restrictions in our debt instruments and/or our certificate of designations for the Series E Preferred Stock could result in events of default, which, if not cured or waived, could result in us being required to repay these borrowings before their due date or require us to redeem our Series E Preferred Stock. The holders of our debt and Series E Preferred Stock may require fees and expenses to be paid or other changes to terms in connection with waivers or amendments. If we are forced to refinance these borrowings on less favorable terms, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected by increased costs and rates.

In addition, these restrictions may limit our ability to obtain additional financing, withstand downturns in our business or take advantage of business opportunities.  In further addition, certain provisions of the certificate of designations of our Series E Preferred Stock require us to use proceeds from any sales of our common stock to redeem shares of the Series E Preferred Stock, which could limit our ability to grow our business, acquire needed assets, or take other actions we might otherwise consider appropriate or desirable.

The Jackson Note is secured by substantially all of the Company’s assets that are not secured by our revolving loan facility with Midcap Funding Trust and the terms of the Jackson Note may restrict the Company’s current and future operations. Additionally, Jackson may be able to exert significant influence over us as our senior secured and the beneficial owner of a substantial percentage of our outstanding shares of common stock.

The Jackson Note (as defined herein) contains a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and may limit our ability to engage in acts that may be in our long-term best interests. The Jackson Note includes covenants limiting or restricting, among other things, our ability to:

In addition, the Jackson Note contains financial covenants including, among other things, a fixed charge coverage ratio, minimum liquidity requirements and total leverage ratio.  A breach of any of these financial covenants could result in a default under the Jackson Note. If any such default occurs, Jackson may elect to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued interest and other amounts payable thereunder, to be immediately due and payable.  In addition, following an event of default under the Jackson Note, Jackson will have the right to proceed against the collateral granted to it to secure the debt, which includes our available cash. If the debt under the Jackson Note was to be accelerated, we cannot assure you that our assets would be sufficient to repay in full our debt.

In addition to being our senior secured lender, Jackson owns in excess of 17.9% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, not including shares issuable upon conversion of certain warrants and Series E and Series E-1 Preferred Stock. Jackson beneficially owns 58.6% of our common stock including shares issuable upon exercise of warrants and conversion of the series Series E and Series E-1 Preferred Stock. Accordingly, Jackson may be able to exert significant influence over the Company.

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We have significant working capital needs and if we are unable to satisfy those needs from cash generated from our operations or borrowings under our debt instruments, we may not be able to continue our operations.

We require significant amounts of working capital to operate our business. We often have high receivables from our customers, and as a staffing company, we are prone to cash flow imbalances because we have to fund payroll payments to temporary workers before receiving payments from clients for our services. Cash flow imbalances also occur because we must pay temporary workers even when we have not been paid by our customers. If we experience a significant and sustained drop in operating profits, or if there are unanticipated reductions in cash inflows or increases in cash outlays, we may be subject to cash shortfalls. If such a shortfall were to occur for even a brief period of time, it may have a significant adverse effect on our business. In particular, we use working capital to pay expenses relating to our temporary workers and to satisfy our workers’ compensation liabilities. As a result, we must maintain sufficient cash availability to pay temporary workers and fund related tax liabilities prior to receiving payment from customers.

In addition, our operating results tend to be unpredictable from quarter to quarter.  Demand for our services is typically lower during traditional national vacation periods in the United States and United Kingdom when customers and candidates are on vacation.  No single quarter is predictive of results of future periods. Any extended period of time with low operating results or cash flow imbalances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.    

We derive working capital for our operations through cash generated by our operating activities and borrowings under our debt instruments. Our available sources of capital are limited and our debt obligations and an unsecured payment associated with a historical acquisition are due in the next 12 months. If our working capital needs increase in the future, we may be forced to seek additional sources of capital, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms. The amount we are entitled to borrow under our debt instruments is calculated monthly based on the aggregate value of certain eligible trade accounts receivable generated from our operations, which are affected by financial, business, economic and other factors, as well as by the daily timing of cash collections and cash outflows. The aggregate value of our eligible accounts receivable may not be adequate to allow for borrowings for other corporate purposes, such as capital expenditures or growth opportunities, which could reduce our ability to react to changes in the market or industry conditions.

We will need to raise additional capital to meet our business requirements in the future, which is likely to be challenging, could be highly dilutive and may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

As of December 28, 2019, the Company had a working capital deficiency of $55,353, an accumulated deficit of $76,537 and a net loss of $4,894 in Fiscal 2019. We will need to raise additional capital to pursue growth opportunities, improve our infrastructure, finance our operations and otherwise make investments in assets and personnel that will allow us to remain competitive. Additional capital would be used to accomplish the following:

To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of those securities could result in substantial dilution for our current stockholders. The terms of any securities issued by us in future capital transactions may be more favorable to new investors, and may include preferences, superior voting rights and the issuance of warrants or other derivative securities, which may have a further dilutive effect on the holders of any of our securities then-outstanding. We may issue additional shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for our common stock in connection with hiring or retaining personnel, option or warrant exercises, future acquisitions or future placements of our securities for capital-raising or other business purposes. The issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline further and existing stockholders may not agree with our financing plans or the terms of such financings.

In addition, we may incur substantial costs in pursuing future capital financing, including investment banking fees, legal fees, accounting fees, securities law compliance fees, printing and distribution expenses and other costs. We may also be required to recognize non-cash expenses in connection with certain securities we issue, such as convertible notes and warrants, which may adversely impact our financial condition.

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Furthermore, any additional debt or equity financing that we may need may not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If we are unable to obtain such additional financing on a timely basis, we may have to curtail our development activities and growth plans and/or be forced to sell assets, perhaps on unfavorable terms, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and ultimately could be forced to discontinue our operations and liquidate, in which event it is unlikely that stockholders would receive any distribution on their shares. Further, we may not be able to continue operating if we do not generate sufficient revenues from operations needed to stay in business.

A more active, liquid trading market for our common stock may not develop, and the price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

Historically, the market price of our common stock has fluctuated over a wide range. Between our stock splits occurring on September 17, 2015, and January 3, 2018, our common stock traded in a range from $2.50 to $39.50 per share. There has been relatively limited trading volume in the market for our common stock, and a more active, liquid public trading market may not develop or may not be sustained. Limited liquidity in the trading market for our common stock may adversely affect a stockholder's ability to sell its shares of common stock at the time it wishes to sell them or at a price that it considers acceptable. If a more active, liquid public trading market does not develop we may be limited in our ability to raise capital by selling shares of common stock and our ability to acquire other companies or assets by using shares of our common stock as consideration. In addition, if there is a thin trading market or "float" for our stock, the market price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly more than the stock market as a whole. Without a large float, our common stock would be less liquid than the stock of companies with broader public ownership and, as a result, the trading prices of our common stock may be more volatile and it would be harder for a stockholder to liquidate any investment in our common stock. Furthermore, the stock market is subject to significant price and volume fluctuations, and the price of our common stock could fluctuate widely in response to several factors, including:

The stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations in recent years that have significantly affected the quoted prices of the securities of many companies, including companies in the staffing industry. The changes often appear to occur without regard to specific operating performance. The price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with us and these fluctuations could materially reduce our stock price.

There can be no assurance that that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of NASDAQ.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Historically, the market price of our common stock has fluctuated over a wide range. The stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations in recent months and years that have significantly affected the quoted prices of the securities of many companies, including companies in the staffing industry. The changes often appear to occur without regard to specific operating performance. The price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with us and these fluctuations could materially reduce our stock price

Between our stock splits occurring on September 17, 2015 and January 3, 2018, our common stock traded in a range from $2.50 to $39.50 per share. There has been relatively limited trading volume in the market for our common stock, and a more active, liquid public trading market may not develop or may not be sustained. In addition, on January 24, 2020, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the NASDAQ Capital Market notifying us that, based upon the closing bid price of our common stock for the previous 30 consecutive business days, the common stock did not meet the minimum bid price of $1.00 per share required by NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), initiating an automatic 180 calendar-day grace period for us to regain compliance. If the NASDAQ

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Capital Market delists our common stock from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the listing standards, we and our stockholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:

An investment in our common stock should be considered illiquid and high risk.

An investment in our common stock requires a long-term commitment, with no certainty of return. The market for our common stock is illiquid. Our stockholders may not be able to resell their shares at or above the purchase price paid by such stockholders, or at all.  The illiquidity of our common stock may be caused by a variety of factors including:

There is limited trading in our common stock and our security holders may experience wide fluctuations in the market price of our common stock. These price and volume fluctuations may be unrelated to our operating performance. These fluctuations may have an extremely negative effect on the market price of our common stock and may prevent a stockholder from obtaining a market price equal to the purchase price such stockholder paid when the stockholder attempts to sell our common stock in the open market. In these situations, the stockholder may be required either to sell our common stock at a market price which is lower than the purchase price the stockholder paid, or to hold our common stock for a longer period of time than planned. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of capital stock.

Our growth of operations could strain our resources and cause our business to suffer.

We plan to continue growing our business organically through expansion, sales efforts, and strategic acquisitions, while maintaining tight controls on our expenses and overhead. Lean overhead functions combined with focused growth may place a strain on our management systems, infrastructure and resources, resulting in internal control failures, missed opportunities, and staff attrition which could impact our business and results of operations.

We may be unable to develop, implement and maintain appropriate internal controls over financial reporting. If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results and current and potential stockholders may lose confidence in our financial reporting.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Securities and Exchange Commission rules require that our management report annually on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures. Among other things, our management must conduct an assessment of our internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As disclosed in our prior periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting relating to the accounting for complex debt and equity instruments. While we believe that we have remediated this material weakness, we cannot assure you that additional material weaknesses will not be identified in the future.

Any failure to implement or maintain required new or improved controls, or any difficulties we encounter in their implementation, could result in additional material weaknesses, or could result in material misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. These misstatements could result in a restatement of our consolidated financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, reduce our ability to obtain financing or cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, leading to a decline in our stock price.

There are inherent limitations in all control systems, and misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

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The ongoing internal control provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 require us to identify material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting, which is a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, does not expect that our internal controls and disclosure controls will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. In addition, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefit of controls must be relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, in our Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple errors or mistakes. Further, controls can be circumvented by individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more persons, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving our stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, a control may be inadequate because of changes in conditions, such as growth of the Company or increased transaction volume, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

In addition, discovery and disclosure of a material weakness, could have a material adverse impact on our financial statements. Such an occurrence could discourage certain customers or suppliers from doing business with us, cause downgrades in our future debt ratings leading to higher borrowing costs and affect how our stock trades. This could, in turn, negatively affect our ability to access public debt or equity markets for capital.

Our strategy of growing through acquisitions may impact our business in unexpected ways.

Our growth strategy involves acquisitions that help us expand our service offerings and diversify our geographic footprint. We continuously evaluate acquisition opportunities, but there are no assurances that we will be able to identify acquisition targets that complement our strategy and are available at valuation levels accretive to our business.

Even if we are successful in acquiring, our acquisitions may subject our business to risks that may impact our results of operation:

We face risks associated with litigation and claims.

We are a party to certain legal proceedings as further described in this Form 10-K.  In addition, from time to time, we may become involved in various claims, disputes and legal or regulatory proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business and relate to contractual and other obligations. Due to the uncertainties of litigation, we can give no assurance that we will prevail on any claims made against us in any such lawsuit. Also, we can give no assurance that any other lawsuits or claims brought in the future will not have an adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or operating results. Adverse outcomes in some or all of these claims may result in significant monetary damages that could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business.

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The uncertainty surrounding the implementation of Brexit may impact our UK operations

The U.K. left the European Union January 31, 2020. Under the current withdrawal agreement between the U.K. and the European Union, the U.K. will be subject to a transition period until December 31, 2020, during which European Union rules will continue to apply. The relationship between the U.K. and the European Union after the transition period has not been determined yet. As a result, the impact of Brexit is not yet known and depends on any agreements the U.K. and European Union may make to retain access to each other's markets after the transition period.  A withdrawal from the European Union is unusual and it is unclear what financial, trade, legal and employment implications the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union will have following the transition period and how the withdrawal will affect us.  Our operations in the U.K. could be disrupted by Brexit. There may continue to be economic uncertainty surrounding the consequences of Brexit that could adversely impact customer confidence, resulting in customers reducing their spending budgets on our services.  These and other adverse consequences such as reduced consumer spending, deterioration in economic conditions, loss of key international employees, volatility in exchange rates, and prohibitive laws and regulations could have a negative impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.  

Our revenue may be adversely affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

A significant portion of our expenditures are expected to be derived or spent in British pounds. However, we report our financial condition and results of operations in U.S. dollars. As a result, fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the British pound will impact the amount of our revenues and net income. For example, if the British pound appreciates relative to the U.S. dollar, the fluctuation will result in a positive impact on the revenues that we report. However, if the British pound depreciates relative to the U.S. dollar, which was the case during 2016, there will be a negative impact on the revenues we report due to such fluctuation. It is possible that the impact of currency fluctuations will result in a decrease in reported consolidated sales even though we may have experienced an increase in sales transacted in the British pound. Conversely, the impact of currency fluctuations may result in an increase in reported consolidated sales despite declining sales transacted in the British pound. The exchange rate from the U.S. dollar to the British pound has fluctuated substantially in the past and may continue to do so in the future. Though we may choose to hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate changes in the future, there is no guarantee such hedging, if undertaken, will be successful.

We depend on attracting, integrating, managing, and retaining qualified personnel.

Our success is substantially dependent upon our ability to attract, integrate, manage and retain personnel who possess the skills and experience necessary to fulfill our customers’ needs. Our ability to hire and retain qualified personnel could be impaired by any diminution of our reputation, decrease in compensation levels relative to our competitors or modifications to our total compensation philosophy or competitor hiring programs. If we cannot attract, hire and retain qualified personnel, our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer. Our future success also depends upon our ability to manage the performance of our personnel. Failure to successfully manage the performance of our personnel could affect our profitability by causing operating inefficiencies that could increase operating expenses and reduce operating income.

We depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified temporary workers.

In addition to the members of our own team, our success is substantially dependent on our ability to recruit and retain qualified temporary workers who possess the skills and experience necessary to meet the staffing requirements of our customers. We are required to continually evaluate our base of available qualified personnel to keep pace with changing customer needs. Competition for individuals with proven professional skills is intense, and demand for these individuals is expected to remain strong for the foreseeable future. There can be no assurance that qualified personnel will continue to be available.

Our revenue can vary because our customers can terminate their relationship with us at any time with limited or no penalty.

We focus on providing mid-level professional and light industrial personnel on a temporary assignment-by-assignment basis, which customers can generally terminate at any time or reduce their level of use when compared to prior periods. To avoid large placement agency fees, large companies may use in-house personnel staff, current employee referrals, or human resources consulting companies to find and hire new personnel. Because placement agencies typically charge a fee based on a percentage of the first year’s salary of a new worker, companies with many jobs to fill have a large financial incentive to avoid agencies.

Our business is also significantly affected by our customers’ hiring needs and their views of their future prospects. Our customers may, on very short notice, terminate, reduce or postpone their recruiting assignments with us and, therefore, affect demand for our services. As a result, a significant number of our customers can terminate their agreements with us at any time, making us particularly vulnerable to a significant decrease in revenue within a short period of time that could be difficult to quickly replace. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.  

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Most of our contracts do not obligate our customers to utilize a significant amount of our staffing services and may be cancelled on limited notice, so our revenue is not guaranteed.

Substantially all of our revenue is derived from multi-year contracts that are terminable for convenience. Under our multi-year agreements, we contract to provide customers with staffing services through work or service orders at the customers’ request. Under these agreements, our customers often have little or no obligation to request our staffing services. In addition, most of our contracts are cancellable on limited notice, even if we are not in default under the contract. We may hire employees permanently to meet anticipated demand for services under these agreements that may ultimately be delayed or cancelled. We could face a significant decline in revenues and our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected if:

If we are unable to retain existing customers or attract new customers, our results of operations could suffer.

Increasing the growth and profitability of our business is particularly dependent upon our ability to retain existing customers and capture additional customers. Our ability to do so is dependent upon our ability to provide high quality services and offer competitive prices. If we are unable to execute these tasks effectively, we may not be able to attract a significant number of new customers and our existing customer base could decrease, either or both of which could have an adverse impact on our revenues.

We operate in an intensely competitive and rapidly changing business environment, and there is a substantial risk that our services could become obsolete or uncompetitive.

The markets for our services are highly competitive. Our markets are characterized by pressures to provide high levels of service, incorporate new capabilities and technologies, accelerate job completion schedules and reduce prices. Furthermore, we face competition from a number of sources, including other executive search firms and professional search, staffing and consulting firms. Several of our competitors have greater financial and marketing resources than we do.  New and existing competitors are aided by technology, and the market has low barriers to entry.  Furthermore, Internet employment sites expand a Company’s ability to find workers without the help of traditional agencies. Personnel agencies often work as intermediaries, helping employers accurately describe job openings and screen candidates. Increasing the use of sophisticated, automated job description and candidate screening tools could make many traditional functions of staffing companies obsolete. Specifically, the increased use of the internet may attract technology-oriented companies to the professional staffing industry. Free social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook are also becoming a common way for recruiters and employees to connect without the assistance of a staffing company.

Our future success will depend largely upon our ability to anticipate and keep pace with those developments and advances. Current or future competitors could develop alternative capabilities and technologies that are more effective, easier to use or more economical than our services. In addition, we believe that, with continuing development and increased availability of information technology, the industries in which we compete may attract new competitors. If our capabilities and technologies become obsolete or uncompetitive, our related sales and revenue would decrease. Due to competition, we may experience reduced margins on our services, loss of market share, and loss of customers. If we are not able to compete effectively with current or future competitors as a result of these and other factors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our operations may be affected by global economic fluctuations.

Customers’ demand for our services may fluctuate widely with changes in economic conditions in the markets in which we operate. Those conditions include slower employment growth or reductions in employment, which directly impact our service offerings. As a staffing company, our revenue depends on the number of jobs we fill, which in turn depends on economic growth. During economic slowdowns, many customer companies stop hiring altogether. For example, in prior economic downturns, many employers in our operating regions reduced their overall workforce to reflect the slowing demand for their products and services. We may face lower demand and increased pricing pressures during these periods, which this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business may be impacted by political events, war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters and other business interruptions.

War, terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, public health issues (such as the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”)) and other business interruptions have caused and could cause damage or disruption to commerce and the economy, and thus could have a material adverse effect on us and our customers. Our business operations are subject to interruption by, among others, natural disasters, whether

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as a result of climate change or otherwise, fire, power shortages, nuclear power plant accidents and other industrial accidents, terrorist attacks and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues and other events beyond our control. Such events could decrease demand for our services. COVID-19 is impacting worldwide economic activity, and activity in the United States and the United Kingdom where our operations are based. The nature of work of the contractors we support mostly are on the site of our clients.   As a result, we are subject to the plans and approaches of our clients to work during this period.  This includes whether they support remote working when they have decided to close their facilities.  To the extent that our clients were to decide or are required to close their facilities or not permit remote work when they decide to close facilities, we would no longer generate revenue and profit from that client.  From the Company’s perspective, we have in place a business continuity plan that has evaluated all critical aspects of our business operations, built plans to address the business risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and tested those critical processes and systems at key locations and systems. 

We could be adversely affected by risks associated with acquisitions and joint ventures.

We are engaged in the acquisition of U.S. and U.K. based staffing companies, and our typical acquisition model is based on paying consideration in the form of cash, stock, earn-outs and/or promissory notes.  To date, we have completed eight acquisitions.  We intend to expand our business through acquisitions of complementary businesses, services or products, subject to our business plans and management's ability to identify, acquire and develop suitable investments or acquisition targets in both new and existing service categories. In certain circumstances, acceptable investments or acquisition targets might not be available. Acquisitions involve a number of risks, including:

Our business plan for continued growth through acquisitions is subject to certain inherent risks, including accessing capital resources, potential cost overruns and possible rejection of our business model and/or sales methods. Therefore, we provide no assurance that we will be successful in carrying out our business plan. We continue to pursue additional debt and equity financing to fund our business plan. We have no assurance that future financing will be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

In addition, if we incur indebtedness to finance an acquisition, it may reduce our capacity to borrow additional amounts and require us to dedicate a greater percentage of our cash flow from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing the cash resources available to us to fund capital expenditures, pursue other acquisitions or investments in new business initiatives and meet general corporate and working capital needs. This increased indebtedness may also limit our flexibility in planning for, and reacting to, changes in or challenges relating to our business and industry.  The use of our common stock or other securities (including those convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for our common stock) to finance any such acquisition may also result in dilution of our existing shareholders.

The potential risks associated with future acquisitions could disrupt our ongoing business, result in the loss of key customers or personnel, increase expenses and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are dependent upon technology services, and if we experience damage, service interruptions or failures in our computer and telecommunications systems, our customer relationships and our ability to attract new customers may be adversely affected.

Our business could be interrupted by damage to or disruption of our computer and telecommunications equipment and software systems, and we may lose data. Our customers’ businesses may be adversely affected by any system or equipment failure we experience. As a result of any of the foregoing, our relationships with our customers may be impaired, we may lose customers, our ability to attract new customers may be adversely affected and we could be exposed to contractual liability. Precautions in place to protect us from, or minimize the effect of, such events may not be adequate. If an interruption by damage to or disruption of our computer and

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telecommunications equipment and software systems occurs, we could be liable and the market perception of our services could be harmed.

We could be harmed by improper disclosure or loss of sensitive or confidential company, employee, associate or customer data, including personal data.

In connection with the operation of our business, we store, process and transmit a large amount of data, including personnel and payment information, about our employees, customers, associates and candidates, a portion of which is confidential and/or personally sensitive. In doing so, we rely on our own technology and systems, and those of third-party vendors we use for a variety of processes. We and our third-party vendors have established policies and procedures to help protect the security and privacy of this information. Unauthorized disclosure or loss of sensitive or confidential data may occur through a variety of methods. These include, but are not limited to, systems failure, employee negligence, fraud or misappropriation, or unauthorized access to or through our information systems, whether by our employees or third parties, including a cyberattack by computer programmers, hackers, members of organized crime and/or state-sponsored organizations, who may develop and deploy viruses, worms or other malicious software programs.

Such disclosure, loss or breach could harm our reputation and subject us to government sanctions and liability under our contracts and laws that protect sensitive or personal data and confidential information, resulting in increased costs or loss of revenues. It is possible that security controls over sensitive or confidential data and other practices we and our third-party vendors follow may not prevent the improper access to, disclosure of, or loss of such information. The potential risk of security breaches and cyberattacks may increase as we introduce new services and offerings, such as mobile technology. Further, data privacy is subject to frequently changing rules and regulations, which sometimes conflict among the various jurisdictions in which we provide services. Any failure or perceived failure to successfully manage the collection, use, disclosure, or security of personal information or other privacy related matters, or any failure to comply with changing regulatory requirements in this area, could result in legal liability or impairment to our reputation in the marketplace.

We may be exposed to employment-related claims and losses, including class action lawsuits, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We employ people internally and in the workplaces of other businesses. Many of these individuals have access to customer information systems and confidential information. The risks of these activities include possible claims relating to:

We may incur fines and other losses or negative publicity with respect to these problems. In addition, these claims may give rise to litigation, which could be time-consuming and expensive. New employment and labor laws and regulations may be proposed or adopted that may increase the potential exposure of employers to employment-related claims and litigation. There can be no assurance that the corporate policies we have in place to help reduce our exposure to these risks will be effective or that we will not experience losses as a result of these risks. There can also be no assurance that the insurance policies we have purchased to insure against certain risks will be adequate or that insurance coverage will remain available on reasonable terms or be sufficient in amount or scope of coverage.

Our compliance with complicated regulations concerning corporate governance and public disclosure has resulted in additional expenses.

We are faced with expensive, complicated and evolving disclosure, governance and compliance laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure.  In addition, as a staffing company, we are regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and often by state authorities. New or changing laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and their application in practice may evolve over time

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as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing compliance work.

Our failure to comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to U.S. public companies could subject us or our management to regulatory scrutiny or sanction, which could harm our reputation and stock price. Our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards are likely to continue to result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.

The requirements of being a public company place significant demands on our resources.

As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the NASDAQ Capital Market, have imposed various requirements on public companies. New laws and regulations as well as changes to existing laws and regulations affecting public companies, including the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and changes in required accounting practices and rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the by NASDAQ Capital Market, would likely result in increased costs to us as we respond to their requirements.

Shareholder activism, the current political environment, and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations have increased our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time consuming and costly. For example, these rules and regulations make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain and maintain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to incur substantial costs to maintain our current levels of such coverage.

We may reduce or suspend our dividend in the future.

We initiated a dividend program under which we intend to pay a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per share to holders of our common stock. The first $0.01 per share dividend was paid on February 28, 2019 to shareholders of record as of February 15, 2019.  In the future, our Board of Directors may, without advance notice, determine to reduce or suspend our dividend in order to maintain our financial flexibility and best position our Company for long‑term success. The declaration and amount of future dividends is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, prospects, industry conditions, capital requirements and other factors and restrictions our Board of Directors deems relevant. In addition, we are limited in our ability to pay dividends by certain of our existing agreements and the certificate of designations for our Series E Preferred Stock.  In particular, our debt agreements and certificate of designations for our Series E Preferred Stock only permit us to pay quarterly cash dividend of one cent per share of common stock issued and outstanding, provided, that such cash dividend does not exceed $100 in the aggregate per fiscal quarter.  We may not pay such dividends if any events of default exist under our debt agreements or the certificates of designations for our Series E Preferred Stock.  In addition, so long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, as they are at this time, we are not able to declare, pay or set apart for payment any dividend on any shares of common stock, unless at the time of such dividend we have paid all accrued and unpaid dividends on the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock. Effective January 1, 2020, Jackson does not allow for any further Series A dividend payments so, as a consequence, a Common Stock dividend will not be declared while the Jackson note is outstanding.

Accordingly, we cannot be certain if we will be able to continue payment of the quarterly cash dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors must mainly rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the primary way to realize any future gains on their investment. There is no guarantee that shares of our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our stockholders have purchased their shares.

Upon our dissolution, you may not recoup all or any portion of your investment.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our Company, whether voluntary or involuntary, the proceeds and/or assets of our Company remaining after giving effect to such transaction, and the payment of all of our debts and liabilities will be distributed to the stockholders of common stock on a pro rata basis. There can be no assurance that we will have available assets to pay to the holders of common stock, or any amounts, upon such a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our Company. In this event, you could lose some or all of your investment.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.

The Company leases 4,157 square feet of space at 641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2701, New York, NY 10022, its headquarters and principal location. The Company’s lease for this space will expire in 2022.  The Company currently has a total of 19 facilities throughout the U.S. and the U.K.  This includes U.K. offices in London and Redhill, England, as well as offices in the following states in the U.S.: New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.  

All offices are operated from leased space ranging from approximately 500 to 10,000 square feet, typically through operating leases with terms that range from six months to ten years, and thus with expirations from 2018 through 2029. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current requirements and that the Company’s leasing strategies provide us with sufficient flexibility to accommodate our business needs.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

From time to time, we may become involved in lawsuits, investigations and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. As of the date of this filing, we are not party to any material litigation against the Company nor are we aware of any such threatened or pending legal proceedings that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

There are no material proceedings in which any of our directors, officers or affiliates or any registered or beneficial shareholder of more than 5% of our common stock is an adverse party or has a material interest adverse to our interest.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

Market Information

Shares of the Company’s common stock are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “STAF”.

Holders of Common Stock

As of May 6, 2020, there were approximately 2,700 shareholders of record of the Company’s common stock.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Other than those sales of unregistered securities that have been disclosed by the Company in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and as described in “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under the heading “Financings,” the following are the only sales of unregistered securities: during the period December 29, 2018 through December 29, 2019 - we issued 6,000 shares of common stock, with an aggregate value of $9 to Greenridge Global, LLC in return for investor relations advisory services and construction of leasehold improvements.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

Not required for smaller reporting companies.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The following discussion and analysis of our results of operations and financial condition should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. This section includes a number of forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including, but not limited to, statements about our plans, strategies, adequacy of resources and future financial results (such as revenue, gross profit, operating profit, cash flow), are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by words like “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “intends,” “project,” “predict,” “plans,” “estimates,” “goal,” “target,” “possible,” “potential,” “would,” “seek,” and similar references to future periods. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Because these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control or are subject to change, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: negative outcome of pending and future claims and litigation; our ability to access the capital markets by pursuing additional debt and equity financing to fund our business plan and expenses on terms acceptable to us or at all; and our ability to comply with our contractual covenants, including in respect of our debt; potential cost overruns and possible rejection of our business model and/or sales methods; weakness in general economic conditions and levels of capital spending by customers in the industries we serve; weakness or volatility in the financial and capital markets, which may result in the postponement or cancellation of our customers' capital projects or the inability of our customers to pay our fees; delays or reductions in U.S. government spending; credit risks associated with our customers; competitive market pressures; the availability and cost of qualified labor; our level of success in attracting, training and retaining qualified management personnel and other staff employees; changes in tax laws and other government regulations, including the impact of health care reform laws and regulations; the possibility of incurring liability for our business activities, including, but not limited to, the activities of our temporary employees; our performance on customer contracts; and government policies, legislation or judicial decisions adverse to our businesses. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We recommend readers to carefully review the entirety of this Annual Report, including the “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report and the other reports and documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), particularly our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Overview

We are incorporated in the State of Delaware. As a rapidly growing public company in the international staffing sector, our high-growth business model is based on finding and acquiring suitable, mature, profitable, operating, U.S. and U.K. based staffing companies. Our targeted consolidation model is focused specifically on the Professional Business Stream and Commercial Business Stream disciplines.

Business Model, Operating History and Acquisitions

We are a high-growth international staffing company engaged in the acquisition of U.S. and U.K. based staffing companies. As part of our consolidation model, we pursue a broad spectrum of staffing companies supporting primarily the Professional and Commercial Business Streams. Our typical acquisition model is based on paying consideration in the form of cash, stock, earn-outs and/or promissory notes. In furthering our business model, the Company is regularly in discussions and negotiations with various suitable, mature acquisition targets. Since November 2013, the Company has completed ten acquisitions.

All share numbers in this section have been adjusted for the one-for-five reverse stock split effective at 5:00 p.m. New York time on January 3, 2018.

PeopleServe Disposition

On June 6, 2018, the Company divested the stock of PeopleServe Inc., and PeopleServe PRS, Inc. for a total consideration of $1,502, net of $567 that was remitted back to the buyer on July 31, 2018 in connection with a net working capital true up. The Company recorded a gain of $238 from sale of business.  

Clement May Acquisition

On June 28, 2018, the Company and Staffing 360 Solutions Limited (formerly known as Longbridge Recruitment 360 Limited), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into share purchase agreements (“Share Purchase Agreements”) of the share capital of Clement May Limited (“CML”). Consideration for the acquisition of all the shares was (i) an aggregate cash payment of £1,550

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($2,047), (ii) 15,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, (iii) the assignment of certain outstanding debt owed to the CML Majority Holder to the Principal as set forth in that Share Purchase Agreement, (iv) an earn-out payment of up to £500, the amount to be calculated and paid on or around December 28, 2019 pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, and (v) deferred consideration of £350, to be paid on or around June 28, 2019, depending on the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in that Share Purchase Agreement. To finance the above transaction, the Company entered into a term loan with HSBC Bank plc.

Key Resources Inc. Acquisition

On August 27, 2018, the Company and Monroe Staffing Services, LLC (“Monroe Staffing”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into a share purchase agreement with Pamela D. Whitaker (“Seller”), pursuant to which the Seller sold 100% of the common shares of Key Resources Inc. (“KRI”) to Monroe Staffing (the “KRI Transaction”). The KRI Transaction closed simultaneously with the signing of the share purchase agreement. The purchase price in connection with the KRI Transaction was approximately $12,163, of which (a) approximately $8,109 was paid to the Seller at closing, (b) up to approximately $2,027 is payable as earnout consideration to the Seller on August 27, 2019 and (c) up to $2,027 is payable as earnout consideration to the Seller on August 27, 2020.  While the Company had recognized the liability for the earnout consideration due the seller of KRI, Pamela D. Whitaker (“Whitaker”), within current liabilities as of December 28, 2019, in February 2020, the Company filed an action against Whitaker for breach of contract which more than approximates the earnout consideration recognized. The Company paid interest of $30 in Fiscal 2019 and $40 subsequent to Fiscal 2019 year end. Refer to legal proceedings below for action filed against Whitaker, the former owner of KRI.

To finance the above transaction, the Company entered into an agreement with Jackson on August 27, 2018, pursuant to which the note purchase agreement dated as of September 15, 2017 was amended to add an additional senior debt investment of approximately $8,428 in the Company.

For Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018

Revenue

Fiscal 2019 revenue increased by 6.7% to $278,478 as compared with $260,926 for Fiscal 2018. Of that growth, $47,167 was from the acquisitions of Clement May and KRI.  This was partially offset by a decline of $7,653 from divesting of the PeopleServe, $5,202 from unfavorable foreign currency translation, and $16,760 of organic revenue decline. Within organic revenue, temporary contractor revenue declined $16,814 and permanent placement grew $482.

Revenue in Fiscal 2019 was comprised of $266,974 of temporary contractor revenue and $11,504 of permanent placement revenue, compared with $250,416 and $10,510 for Fiscal 2018, respectively.

Cost of revenue, Gross profit and gross margin

Cost of revenue includes the variable cost of labor and various non-variable costs (e.g., workers’ compensation insurance) relating to employees (temporary and permanent) as well as sub-contractors and consultants. For Fiscal 2019, cost of revenue was $230,169, an increase of 8.3% from $212,622 in Fiscal 2018, compared with revenue growth of 6.7%.

Gross profit for Fiscal 2019 was $48,309, flat versus Fiscal 2018 of $48,304, representing gross margin of 17.3% and 18.5% for each period, respectively.  Gross profit growth was primarily attributable to the impact of acquisitions and growth in permanent revenue. This was partly offset by the divestiture of the lower margin PeopleServe business, workers’ compensation insurance savings realized in Fiscal 2018 with no corresponding credit in Fiscal 2019, unfavorable foreign currency translation, and organic contract revenue decline.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses for Fiscal 2019 were $47,686, an increase of 2.2% over $46,646 for Fiscal 2018.  The acquisitions of Clement May and KRI drove an additional increase of 5.7% in operating expense. Excluding the acquisitions, operating expenses decreased by 4.3% driven by lower non-recurring costs, legal, and other costs associated with acquisitions, lower variable costs and savings attributable to synergies within the subsidiaries, cost savings initiatives, and the PeopleServe divesture.    

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Other Expenses

Other expenses for Fiscal 2019 was $5,852, a decrease of 28.1% from $8,137 in Fiscal 2018. The decrease is driven by the following: gain of $1,077 on CBS Butler earnout settlement in Fiscal 2019, $847 gain on settlement of FirstPro Inc. deferred consideration in Fiscal 2019; $383 gain in remeasuring the intercompany note in Fiscal 2019 compared to a loss of $686 in Fiscal 2018; $758 lower interest expense recorded in Fiscal 2019 versus Fiscal 2018 due to the $13 million debt conversion in Fiscal 2018. These were partially offset by a gain of $879 from fair valuing warrants in Fiscal 2018, with no corresponding gain in Fiscal 2019; $238 gain from the sale of PeopleServe in Fiscal 2018; $277 of higher net amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs; and lower other income mainly due to a true up adjustment to the CBS Butler earnout in Fiscal 2018.

Non-GAAP Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), we also use non-GAAP financial measures and Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) in addition to our GAAP results. We believe non-GAAP financial measures and KPIs may provide useful information for evaluating our cash operating performance, ability to service debt, compliance with debt covenants and measurement against competitors. This information should be considered as supplemental in nature and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly entitled measures reported by other companies.

We present the following non-GAAP financial measure and KPIs in this report:

Revenue and Gross Profit by Business Streams We use this KPI to measure the Company’s mix of Revenue and respective profitability between its two main lines of business due to their differing margins. For clarity, these lines of business are not the Company’s operating segments, as this information is not currently regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker to allocate capital and resources. Rather, we use this KPI to benchmark the Company against the industry.

The following table details Revenue and Gross Profit by Business Streams:

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Adjusted EBITDA This measure is defined as net loss attributable to common stock before: interest expense, benefit from (provision for) income taxes; income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax; other (income) expense, net, in operating income (loss); amortization and impairment of intangible assets; impairment of goodwill; depreciation; operational restructuring and other charges; other income (expense), net, below operating income (loss); non-cash expenses associated with stock compensation; and charges the Company considers to be non-recurring in nature such as legal expenses associated with litigation, professional fees associated potential and completed acquisitions. We use this measure because we believe it provides a more meaningful understanding of the profit and cash flow generation of the Company.

(5) Adjusted Gross Profit EBITDA excludes gross profit of business divested in June 2018, for the period prior to divested date.

Operating Leverage This measure is calculated by dividing the growth in Adjusted EBITDA by the growth in Gross Profit, on a trailing 12-month basis. We use this KPI because we believe it provides a measure of the Company’s efficiency for converting incremental gross profit into Adjusted EBITDA.

.

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Leverage Ratio Calculated as Total Debt, Net, gross of any Original Issue Discount, divided by Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing 12-months. We use this KPI as an indicator of the Company’s ability to service its debt prospectively.

Operating Cash Flow Including Proceeds from Accounts Receivable Financing calculated as net cash (used in) provided by operating activities plus net proceeds from accounts receivable financing.  Because much of the Company’s temporary payroll expense is paid weekly and in advance of clients remitting payment for invoices, operating cash flow is often weaker in staffing companies where revenue and accounts receivable are growing.  Accounts receivable financing is essentially an advance on client remittances and is primarily used to fund temporary payroll.  As such, we believe this measure is helpful to investors as an indicator of the Company’s underlying operating cash flow.

The Leverage Ratio and Operating Cash Flow Including Proceeds from Accounts Receivable Financing should be considered together with the information in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section, immediately below.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity is the ability of a company to generate funds to support its current and future operations, satisfy its obligations, and otherwise operate on an ongoing basis. Historically, we have funded our operations through term loans, promissory notes, bonds, convertible notes, private placement offerings and sales of equity.

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Our primary uses of cash have been for professional fees related to our operations and financial reporting requirements and for the payment of compensation, benefits and consulting fees. The following trends may occur as the Company continues to execute on its strategy:

Our liquidity may be negatively impacted by the significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements, costs associated with newly applicable corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission. We expect all of these applicable rules and regulations could significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs and increase the use of resources.

For Fiscal 2019 the Company had a working capital deficiency of $55,353 an accumulated deficit of $76,537, and a net loss of $4,894.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern. The Company has unsecured payment due in the next 12 months associated with a historical acquisition and secured current debt arrangements which are in excess of cash and cash equivalents on hand, in addition to funding operational growth requirements. Historically, the Company has funded such payments either through cash flow from operations or the raising of capital through additional debt or equity. If the Company is unable to obtain additional capital, such payments may not be made on time. Additionally, with the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, there is further uncertainty related to our future revenues, gross profit and cash flows. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments or classifications that may result from the possible inability of the Company to continue as a going concern.

Operating activities

For Fiscal 2019, net cash used in operations of $10,840 was primarily attributable to changes in operating assets and liabilities totaling $8,697 and a net loss of $4,894; offset by non-cash adjustments of $2,751. Changes in operating assets and liabilities primarily relates to an increase in accounts receivable of $7,574, increase other assets of $590, decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $1,893, decrease in other current liabilities of $94, decrease in other long term liabilities of $85; offset by increase in accounts payable – related party of $1,114, decrease in prepaid expenses of $367, and other of $58. Non cash add backs of $2,750 primarily relates to amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of $3,369, amortization of debt discount and deferred financing of $857, stock based compensation of $832; offset by remeasurement gain on intercompany note of $383 and gain on settlement of deferred consideration of $1,924.

Cash provided by operations was $1,971 for Fiscal 2018. This is primarily attributable to changes in operating assets and liabilities totaling $4,048, non-cash adjustments of $4,424, partially offset by net loss of $6,501. Changes in operating assets and liabilities primarily relates to a decrease in accounts receivable of $5,141, decrease in prepaids and other current assets of $188, decrease in other assets of $83, increase in other current liabilities of $198 and other of $332, offset by decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $1,456, decrease in related party payables of $184, and decrease in other long term liabilities of $254. Non cash add backs of $4,424 primarily relate to amortization of intangible assets of $2,536, amortization of debt discount and deferred financing of $580, stock based compensation of $1,151, depreciation of $588, remeasurement loss on intercompany note of $686, offset by gain from sale of business of $238 and change in fair value of warrant liability of $879.

Investing activities

For Fiscal 2019, net cash flows provided by investing activities was $13,460, $13,970 related to collection of the beneficial interest from HSBC partially offset by purchase of property and equipment of $510.

Net cash flows provided by investing activities for Fiscal 2018 was $1,666 and is due to the acquisitions of Clement May and KRI of $9,760 and purchase of property and equipment of $425; offset by disposal of business, net of $1,403 and the collection of the beneficial interest from HSBC of $10,448.  

Financing activities

For Fiscal 2019, net cash flows used in financing activities totaled $4,389, of which $2,708 relates to repayments on accounts receivable financing, net, payment on deferred consideration for $6,230, third party financing costs of $1,154, dividends paid to related parties of

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$1,175, dividends paid to shareholders of $337, and repayment on HSBC loan of $650; financing costs – related party of $188; offset by proceeds from equity raise of $5,515 and proceeds from related party term loan of $2,538.

For Fiscal 2018, net cash flows used in financing activities totaled $3,556, of which $13,759 related to proceeds from accounts receivable financing, net, payments for earn outs $1,402, repayment of term loans $596, related party financing costs of $280, third party financing costs of $109, dividends to related parties of $200, offset by proceeds from related party loans of $8,428, proceeds from term loans of $2,047 and proceeds from the At-market facility of $2,315.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management believes the Company’s critical accounting policies and estimates to be:

Revenue Recognition

On December 31, 2017, the Company adopted the new accounting standard ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for all open contracts and related amendments as of December 31, 2017 using the modified retrospective method.  The adoption had no impact to the reported results. Results for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2017 are presented under ASC 606, while the comparative information will not be restated and will continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods.

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606, the core principle of which is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve this core principle, five basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: (1) identify the contract with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

The Company accounts for revenues when both parties to the contract have approved the contract, the rights and obligations of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, and collectability of consideration is probable. Payment terms vary by client and the services offered.

The Company has primarily two main forms of revenue – temporary contractor revenue and permanent placement revenue.  Temporary contractor revenue is accounted for as a single performance obligation satisfied over time because the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the Company’s performance on an hourly basis. The contracts stipulate weekly billing and the Company has elected the “as invoiced” practical expedient to recognize revenue based on the hours incurred at the contractual rate as we have the right to payment in an amount that corresponds directly with the value of performance completed to date. Permanent placement revenue is recognized on the date the candidate’s full-time employment with the customer has commenced. The customer is invoiced on the start date, and the contract stipulates payment due under varying terms, typically 30 days. The contract with the customer stipulates a guarantee period whereby the customer may be refunded if the employee is terminated within a short period of time, however this has historically been infrequent, and immaterial upon occurrence. As such, the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied upon commencement of the employment, at which point control has transferred to the customer.

Income Taxes

The Company utilizes Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 740, "Accounting for Income Taxes," which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns.  Under this method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences in future years of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each period end based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

The Company applies the provisions of ASC 740-10-50, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes”, which provides clarification related to the process associated with accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in the financial statements. Audit periods remain open for review until the statute of limitations has passed. The completion of review or the expiration of the statute of limitations for a given audit period could result in an adjustment to the Company’s liability for income taxes. Any such adjustment could be material to the Company’s results of operations for any given quarterly or annual period based, in part, upon the results of operations for the given period. As of the date of this filing, the Company is current on all corporate, federal and state tax returns. The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense.

Business Combinations

In accordance with ASC 805, "Business Combinations”, the Company records acquisitions under the purchase method of accounting, under which the acquisition purchase price is allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their respective fair

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values. The Company utilizes management estimates and, in some instances, may retain the services of an independent third-party valuation firm to assist in determining the fair values of assets acquired, liabilities assumed and contingent consideration granted. Such estimates and valuations require us to make significant assumptions, including projections of future events and operating performance.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

In accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”, the Company measures and accounts for certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. ASC 820 establishes a common definition for fair value to be applied to existing generally accepted accounting principles that require the use of fair value measurements, and establishes a framework for measuring fair value and standards for disclosure about such fair value measurements.

ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Additionally, ASC 820 requires the use of valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized below:

Level 1:Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

Level 2:Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data

Level 3:Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which require the use of the reporting entity’s own assumptions.

Goodwill

Goodwill relates to amounts that arose in connection with various acquisitions and represents the difference between the purchase price and the fair value of the identifiable intangible and tangible net assets when accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. Goodwill is not amortized, but it is subject to periodic review for impairment. Events that would indicate impairment and trigger an interim impairment assessment include, but are not limited to, current economic and market conditions, a decline in the equity value of the business, a significant adverse change in certain agreements that would materially affect reported operating results, business climate or operational performance of the business and an adverse action or assessment by a regulator.

In accordance with ASU No. 2011-08, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) Testing Goodwill for Impairment, or ASU 2011-08, the Company is required to review goodwill by reporting unit for impairment at least annually or more often if there are indicators of impairment present. A reporting unit is either the equivalent of, or one level below, an operating segment. The Company early adopted the provisions in ASU 2017-04, which eliminates the second step of the goodwill impairment test. As a result, the Company's goodwill impairment tests include only one step, which is a comparison of the carrying value of each reporting unit to its fair value, and any excess carrying value, up to the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit, is impaired.

The carrying value of each reporting unit is based on the assignment of the appropriate assets and liabilities to each reporting unit. Assets and liabilities were assigned to each reporting unit if the assets or liabilities are employed in the operations of the reporting unit and the asset and liability is considered in the determination of the reporting unit fair value.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses in the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the accrual of costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results experienced the Company may differ materially and adversely from its estimates. To the extent there are material differences between estimates and the actual results, future results of operations will be affected. Significant estimates for Fiscal 2019 and Fiscal 2018, include the valuation of intangible assets, including goodwill, liabilities associated with earn-out obligations, testing long-lived assets for impairment and valuation reserves against deferred tax assets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

On December 31, 2017, the Company adopted the new accounting standard ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for all open contracts and related amendments as of December 31, 2017 using the modified retrospective method. The adoption had no impact to the reported results. Results for reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2017 are presented under ASC 606, while the comparative information will not be restated and will continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods.

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606, the core principle of which is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve this core principle, five basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: (1) identify the contract with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract;

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(3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

The Company accounts for revenues when both parties to the contract have approved the contract, the rights and obligations of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, and collectability of consideration is probable. Payment terms vary by client and the services offered.

The Company has primarily two main forms of revenue – temporary contractor revenue and permanent placement revenue. Temporary contractor revenue is accounted for as a single performance obligation satisfied over time because the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the Company’s performance on an hourly basis. The contracts stipulate weekly billing and the Company has elected the “as invoiced” practical expedient to recognize revenue based on the hours incurred at the contractual rate as we have the right to payment in an amount that corresponds directly with the value of performance completed to date. Permanent placement revenue is recognized on the date the candidate’s full-time employment with the customer has commenced. The customer is invoiced on the start date, and the contract stipulates payment due under varying terms, typically 30 days. The contract with the customer stipulates a guarantee period whereby the customer may be refunded if the employee is terminated within a short period of time, however this has historically been infrequent, and immaterial upon occurrence. As such, the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied upon commencement of the employment, at which point control has transferred to the customer.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (Topic 842).  The Company adopted this guidance effective December 30, 2018. Under the new provisions, all lessees will report a right-of-use asset and a liability for the obligation to make payments for all leases with the exception of those leases with a term of 12 months or less.  All other leases will fall into one of two categories: (i) Financing leases, similar to capital leases, which will require the recognition of an asset and liability, measured at the present value of the lease payments and (ii) Operating leases which will require the recognition of an asset and liability measured at the present value of the lease payments. Lessor accounting remains substantially unchanged with the exception that no leases entered into after the effective date will be classified as leveraged leases. For sale leaseback transactions, the sale will only be recognized if the criteria in the new revenue recognition standard are met. The new standard provides a number of optional practical expedients in transition. The Company has elected to apply the ‘package of practical expedients’ which allow us to not reassess i) whether existing or expired arrangements contain a lease, ii) the lease classification of existing or expired leases, or iii) whether previous initial direct costs would qualify for capitalization under the new lease standard. The Company has also elected to apply i) the practical expedient which allows us to not separate lease and non-lease components, and (2) the short-term lease exemption for all leases with an original term of less than 12 months, for purposes of applying the recognition and measurements requirements in the new standard. The adoption of the new standard resulted in the recognition of additional lease liabilities of approximately $4,980, and right-of-use assets of approximately $4,888 as of December 28, 2019 related to the Company’s operating leases. The new standard did not have a material impact to the Company’s consolidated statement of operations or consolidated statement of cash flows.

 ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

Not required for smaller reporting companies.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS  

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Board of Directors and Shareholders

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

New York, NY

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ (deficit) equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 28, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 28, 2019, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Emphasis of Matter Regarding Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses, has a net capital deficiency, and faces uncertainty as to the operational impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (Topic 842) effective December 30, 2018.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2017.

/s/ BDO USA, LLP

New York, NY

May 11, 2020

F-1

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands, except share and par values)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-2

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(All amounts in thousands, except share and per share values)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-3

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(All amounts in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-4

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

(All amounts in thousands, except share and par values)