Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation

The Company consolidates its 100%-owned subsidiaries and all of its 51%-owned joint venture subsidiaries in accordance with the provisions required by the Consolidation Topic 810 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Consolidation, Variable Interest Entity, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounting for Joint Venture Subsidiaries

For the Company's less than wholly owned subsidiaries, the Company first analyzes to determine if a joint venture subsidiary is a variable interest entity (a “VIE”) in accordance with ASC 810 and if so, whether the Company is the primary beneficiary requiring consolidation. A VIE is an entity that has (i) insufficient equity to permit it to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or (ii) equity holders that lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. VIEs are consolidated by the primary beneficiary, which is the entity that has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the entity that potentially could be significant to the entity. Variable interests in a VIE are contractual, ownership, or other financial interests in a VIE that change with changes in the fair value of the VIE’s net assets. The Company continuously re-assesses at each level of the joint venture whether the entity is (i) a VIE, and (ii) if the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. If it was determined that an entity in which the Company holds an interest qualified as a VIE and the Company was the primary beneficiary, it would be consolidated.

Based on the Company's analysis for each of its 51% owned joint ventures, the Company has determined that each is a VIE and that Company is the primary beneficiary. While the Company owns 51% of the equity interest in these subsidiaries while the other 49% is owned by local unrelated third parties, the joint venture agreements with those third parties generally provide them with equal voting rights. Accordingly, the Company consolidates each joint venture under the VIE rules and reflects the 49% interests in the consolidated financial statements as non controlling interests. The Company records these noncontrolling interests at their initial fair value, adjusting the basis prospectively for their share of the respective consolidated investments’ net income or loss or equity contributions and distributions. These noncontrolling interests are not redeemable by the equity holders and are presented as part of permanent equity. Income and losses are allocated to the noncontrolling interest holder based on its economic ownership percentage.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the amounts disclosed for contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting year. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid short-term investments with maturities of three months or less at the time of acquisition to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.

Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company maintains cash balances with high quality financial institutions and periodically evaluates the creditworthiness of such institutions and believes that the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk. Cash balances may be in excess of the amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

The Company's services are provided to its clients under contracts or agreements. The Company bills its clients based upon service fee or per unit fee arrangements. Revenues under service fee arrangements are recognized when the service is performed. The Company's per unit fee arrangements provide for fees to be earned based on the retail sales of a client's products to consumers. The Company recognizes per unit fees in the period such amounts become determinable and are reported to the Company. Customer deposits, which are considered advances on future work, are recorded as revenue in the period services are provided.

Receivables, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Unbilled Accounts Receivable

Unbilled accounts receivable represent services performed but not billed and are included as accounts receivable.

Doubtful Accounts and Credit Risks

The Company continually monitors the collectability of its accounts receivable based upon current client credit information and financial condition. Balances that are deemed to be uncollectible after the Company has attempted reasonable collection efforts are written off through a charge to the bad debt allowance and a credit to accounts receivable. Accounts receivable balances, net of any applicable reserves or allowances, are stated at the amount that management expects to collect from the outstanding balances. The Company provides for probable uncollectible amounts through a charge to earnings and a credit to bad debt allowance based in part on management's assessment of the current status of individual accounts. Based on management's assessment, the Company established an allowance for doubtful accounts of $122,000 and $216,000 at December 31, 2013, and 2012, respectively. Bad debt expense was $73,000 and $72,000 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property and Equipment and Depreciation

Property and equipment, including leasehold improvements, are stated at cost. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or lease term, using the straight-line method. Maintenance and minor repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 (including amortization of capitalized software as described below) was $1.0 million and $985,000, respectively.

Internal Use Software, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Internal Use Software Development Costs

The Company capitalizes certain costs associated with its internally developed software. Specifically, the Company capitalizes the costs of materials and services incurred in developing or obtaining internal use software. These costs include (but are not limited to) the cost to purchase software, the cost to write program code, payroll and related benefits and travel expenses for those employees who are directly involved with and who devote time to the Company's software development projects. Capitalized software development costs are amortized over three years on a straight-line basis.

The Company capitalized $1,010,000 and $824,000 of costs related to software developed for internal use in 2013 and 2012, respectively, and recognized approximately $681,000 and $638,000 of amortization of capitalized software for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of the Company’s property and equipment and intangible assets subjected to amortization may not be recoverable. When indicators of potential impairment exist, the Company assesses the recoverability of the assets by estimating whether the Company will recover its carrying value through the undiscounted future cash flows generated by the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. Based on this analysis, if the Company does not believe that it will be able to recover the carrying value of the asset, the Company records an impairment loss to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset. If any assumptions, projections or estimates regarding any asset change in the future, the Company may have to record an impairment to reduce the net book value of such individual asset.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Goodwill

Goodwill consists of the cost in excess of the fair value of the acquired net assets of the Company’s subsidiaries. Goodwill is subject to annual impairment tests and interim impairment tests, if impairment indicators are present. The impairment tests require the Company to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. The Company is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless it determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment indicates a potential impairment, the Company performs the two step quantitative impairment test. Step one of the two step impairment test is to compare the fair value of the reporting unit with the reporting unit’s carrying amount including goodwill. If the test indicates that the fair value is less than the carrying value, then step two is required to compare the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill. If the carrying amount of the goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess. If impairment is found to have occurred, a corresponding charge will be recorded. The Company has determined that it has two reporting units, and that a two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test was not necessary, as of December 31, 2013 and 2012. Based on the qualitative assessment, the Company did not identify any indication of impairment of its goodwill as of December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounting for Share Based Compensation

The Company measures all employee share-based compensation awards using a fair value method and records the related expense in the financial statements over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award. Excess tax benefits are realized from the exercise of stock options and are reported as a financing cash inflow rather than as a reduction of taxes paid in cash flow from operations. For each award that has a graded vesting schedule, the Company recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. Share based employee compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $538,000 and $517,000, respectively.

Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The generally accepted accounting principles fair value framework uses a three-tiered approach. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

● Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities;

● Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and

● Level 3 – Prices or valuation techniques where little or no market data is available that requires inputs that are significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

If the inputs used to measure the fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the fair value is determined based upon the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Whenever possible, the Company uses quoted market prices to determine fair value. In the absence of quoted market prices, the Company uses independent sources and data to determine fair value. Due to their short maturity, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximated their fair values at December 31, 2013 and 2012. Outstanding indebtedness as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 approximates its fair value due to its market variable interest rate.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounting for Income Taxes

Income tax provisions and benefits are made for taxes currently payable or refundable, and for deferred income taxes arising from future tax consequences of events that were recognized in the Company’s financial statements or tax returns and tax credit carry forwards. The effects of income taxes are measured based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to periods in which the differences are expected to reverse. If necessary, a valuation allowance is established to reduce deferred income tax assets to an amount that will more likely than not be realized.

The calculation of income taxes involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations. The Company recognizes liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step process. The first step involves evaluating the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step involves estimating and measuring the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as the Company has to determine the probability of various possible outcomes. Our evaluation of uncertain tax positions is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, effectively settled issues under audit, and new audit activity. Such a change in recognition or measurement would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Net Income Per Share

Basic net income per share amounts are based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income per share amounts are based upon the weighted average number of common and potential common shares outstanding except for periods in which such potential common shares are anti-dilutive. Potential common shares outstanding include stock options and restricted stock and are calculated using the treasury stock method.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Translation of Foreign Currencies

liabilities were converted at year-end rates, equity at historical rates and income statement accounts at average exchange rates for the year. The resulting translation gains and losses are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss in the consolidated statements of equity.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

There has been no issued accounting guidance not yet adopted by the Company that it believes is material or potentially material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.