Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Business [Policy Text Block]

Nature of Business

IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, “we,” “us,” “our,” “IZEA” or the “Company”) is a Nevada corporation that was founded in February 2006 under the name PayPerPost, Inc. and became a public company in May 2011. In January 2015, IZEA purchased all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Ebyline, Inc. (“Ebyline”). In March 2016, the Company formed IZEA Canada, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, incorporated in Ontario, Canada, to operate as a sales and support office for IZEA’s Canadian customers. In July 2016, IZEA purchased all the outstanding shares of capital stock of ZenContent, Inc. (“ZenContent”) and in July 2018, a subsidiary of the Company merged with TapInfluence, Inc. (“TapInfluence”). ZenContent, Ebyline, and TapInfluence were merged into IZEA and the legal entities were dissolved in December 2017, December 2019, and December 2020, respectively.

The Company creates and operates online marketplaces that connect marketers, including brands, agencies, and publishers, with content creators such as Instagram influencers, TikTok influencers, YouTube stars, designers, photographers, and writers (“creators”). Marketers also engage us to gain access to the Company’s industry expertise, data, and analytics.

The Company provides value through managing custom content workflow, creator search and targeting, bidding, analytics, and payment processing. While the majority of the marketers engage the Company to perform these services (the “Managed Services”) on their behalf, they may also use its marketplaces to engage creators for influencer marketing campaigns or to produce custom content on a self-service basis by licensing the Company’s technology.

The Company’s primary technology platform, the IZEA Exchange (“IZEAx”), is designed to provide a unified ecosystem that enables the creation and publication of multiple types of custom content through its creators’ websites, blogs, and social media channels, including, among others, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram. The Company extensively uses this platform to manage influencer marketing campaigns on behalf of the Company’s marketers. This platform is also available directly to the Company’s marketers as a self-service tool and a licensed white label product. IZEAx was engineered from the ground up to replace all of its previous platforms with an integrated offering that is improved and more efficient.

Until December 2019 when it was merged into IZEAx, the Company operated the Ebyline technology platform, which was originally designed as a self-service content marketplace to replace in-house editorial newsrooms in news agencies with a “virtual newsroom” to source and handle their content workflow with outside creators. In July 2016, the Company acquired the ZenContent technology platform to use as an in-house workflow tool that enables the Company to produce highly scalable, multi-part production of content for both e-commerce entities and brand customers. The TapInfluence technology platform, acquired in 2018, performed in a similar manner to IZEAx and was being utilized by the majority of the TapInfluence customers as a self-service platform via a licensing arrangement, allowing access to the platform and its creators for self-managed marketing campaigns. After the migration of the last customers to IZEAx from the Ebyline platform in December 2019 and from the TapInfluence platform in February 2020, all marketplace revenue was solely generated from the IZEAx platform until the launch of Shake in November 2020.

In 2020, the Company launched two new platforms, BrandGraph and Shake. BrandGraph is a social media intelligence platform that is heavily integrated with IZEAx and both platforms rely heavily on data from each other, but it is also available as a stand-alone platform. The platform maps and classifies the complex hierarchy of corporation-to-brand relationships by category and associates social content with brands through a proprietary content analysis engine. Shake is a new online marketplace where buyers can quickly and easily hire creators of all types for influencer marketing, photography, design, and other digital services. The Shake platform is aimed at digital creatives seeking freelance “gig” work. Creator’s list available “Shakes” on their accounts in the platform and marketers select and purchase creative packages from them through a streamlined chat experience, assisted by ShakeBot - a proprietary, artificial intelligence assistant.

Impact of COVID [Policy Text Block]

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Company’s operations, sales, and finances beginning in 2020. To protect the health and safety of its employees, the Company took precautionary action and directed all staff to work from home effective March 16, 2020. The Company allowed the leases for the Company headquarters and temporary office spaces to expire at the end of their terms throughout 2020. The Company has not experienced any significant declines in operating efficiency in its remote working environment and has decided to continue the work from home policy indefinitely as a virtual-first employer.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Company drew upon a secured credit facility and obtained a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) established under the CARES Act as administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to increase the Company’s cash position and help preserve its financial flexibility. In addition, the Company implemented temporary wage and salary reductions in April 2021. The secured credit facility was paid down by June

30, 2020, and wages and salaries were restored July 2021, after the Company was able to secure additional capital as described in Note 7. The PPP loan was forgiven in full, including accrued interest, in June 2021.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of IZEA Worldwide, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, subsequent to the subsidiaries’ individual acquisition, merger or formation dates, as applicable. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company’s business and financial results will depend on numerous evolving factors including, but not limited to the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, the extent to which it impacts worldwide macroeconomic conditions, the speed of the anticipated recovery, access to capital markets, and governmental and business reactions to the pandemic. The Company assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to the Company and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of December 31, 2021, and through the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to estimates related to revenue, the accounting for potential liabilities and accrued expenses, the assumptions utilized in valuing stock-based compensation issued for services, the realization of deferred tax assets, and assessments of impairment related to long-lived assets, intangible assets, and goodwill. The Company’s future assessment of the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, as well as other factors, could result in additional material impacts to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods.

Despite the Company’s efforts, the ultimate impact of COVID-19 depends on factors beyond the Company’s knowledge or control, including the duration and severity of the outbreak, as well as third-party actions taken to contain its spread and mitigate its public health effects. As a result, the Company is unable to estimate the full extent to which COVID-19 will negatively impact its financial results or liquidity. However, in consideration of the effect of COVID-19 on the assumptions and estimates used in the preparation of the December 31, 2021 financial statements, the Company identified the goodwill impairment disclosed in Note 4 as a material adverse effect on its results of operations and financial position in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 that was caused by COVID-19’s effect on economic conditions.

Reclassification, Comparability Adjustment

Reclassifications

Certain items have been reclassified in 2020 to conform with 2021 financial statement presentation. The Company has reclassified its holdings in digital assets from current assets to intangible assets. The balance was $216,675 and $33,921 at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash EquivalentsThe Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Deposits made to Company bank accounts are insured by the FDIC up to a maximum amount of $250,000. Deposit balances exceeding this limit were approximately $74.9 million and $31.4 million as of December 31, 2021, and 2020, respectively.

Receivable [Policy Text Block]

Accounts Receivable and Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company’s accounts receivable balance consists of trade receivables, unbilled receivables, and a reserve for doubtful accounts. Trade receivables are customer obligations due under normal trade terms. Unbilled receivables represent amounts owed for work that has been performed, but not yet billed. The Company had net trade receivables of $7,577,177 and unbilled receivables of $21,926 at December 31, 2021. The Company had net trade receivables of $5,148,213 and unbilled receivables of $58,992 at December 31, 2020.

Management determines the collectability of accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition, credit history, and current economic conditions. An account is deemed delinquent when the customer has not paid an amount due by its associated due date. If a portion of the account balance is deemed uncollectible, the Company will either write off the amount owed or provide a reserve based on its best estimate of the uncollectible portion of the account. The Company had a reserve for doubtful accounts of $155,000 and $155,000 as of December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, respectively. Management believes that this estimate is reasonable, but there can be no assurance that the estimate will not change due to a change in economic conditions or business conditions within the

industry, the individual customers, or the Company. Any adjustments to this account are reflected in the consolidated statements of operations as a general and administrative expense. Bad debt expense was less than 0.1% of revenue for each of the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

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

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable have been typically limited because a large number of geographically diverse customers make up the Company’s customer base, thus spreading the trade credit risk. However, with the Company’s addition of SaaS customers, it has increased credit exposure on certain customers who carry significant credit balances related to their marketplace spend. The Company controls credit risk through credit approvals, credit limits, and monitoring procedures. The Company performs credit evaluations of its customers but generally does not require collateral to support accounts receivable. The Company had three customers that accounted for 38% of total accounts receivable at December 31, 2021 and zero customers that accounted for more than 10% at December 31, 2020. The Company had one customer that accounted for 14% of its revenue during the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and one customer that accounted for 13% of its revenue during the twelve months ended December 31, 2020.

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

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost, or if acquired in a business combination, at the acquisition date fair value. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

Computer Equipment	3 years
Office Equipment	3 - 10 years
Furniture and Fixtures	5 - 10 years

The carrying amounts of assets sold or retired and the related accumulated depreciation are eliminated in the year of disposal, with resulting gains or losses included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.

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

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred for an acquired business over the fair value of the underlying identifiable net assets. The Company has goodwill in connection with its acquisitions of Ebyline, ZenContent, and TapInfluence. Goodwill is not amortized but instead, it is tested for impairment at least annually. In the event that management determines that the value of goodwill has become impaired, the Company will record a charge in an amount equal to the excess of the reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit during the fiscal quarter in which the determination is made.

The Company performs its annual impairment tests of goodwill as of October 1 of each year, or more frequently, if certain indicators are present. For instance, in March 2020, the Company identified triggering events, including the reduction in its projected revenue due to adverse economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuation of a market capitalization below the Company’s carrying value, and uncertainty for recovery given the volatility of the capital markets surrounding COVID-19. Therefore, the Company performed an interim assessment of goodwill, as described in Note 4. Goodwill is required to be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below the operating segment level, which is referred to as a component. Management identifies its reporting units by assessing whether components (i) have discrete financial information available, (ii) engage in business activities, and (iii) whether a segment manager regularly reviews the component’s operating results. Net assets and goodwill of acquired businesses are allocated to the reporting unit associated with the acquired business based on the anticipated organizational structure of the combined entities. If two or more components are deemed economically similar, those components are aggregated into one reporting unit when performing the annual goodwill impairment review. The Company had one reporting unit as of December 31, 2021.

Intangible Assets, Finite-Lived, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Intangible Assets

The Company acquired the majority of its intangible assets through its acquisitions of Ebyline, ZenContent, and TapInfluence. The Company amortized the identifiable intangible assets over periods of 12 to 60 months. See Note 4 for further details.

The Company accounts for its digital assets held as indefinite-lived intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other. The Company maintains ownership of and control over its digital assets and may use third-party custodial services to secure them. The digital assets are initially recorded at cost and are subsequently evaluated for any impairment losses incurred since acquisition.

The Company reviews long-lived assets, including software development costs and other intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If an

evaluation is required, the estimated future undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset are compared with the asset's carrying amount to determine if there has been an impairment, which is calculated as the difference between the fair value of the asset and the carrying value. Estimates of future undiscounted cash flows are based on expected growth rates for the business, anticipated future economic conditions, and estimates of residual values. Fair values take into consideration management estimates of risk-adjusted discount rates, which are believed to be consistent with assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value. The Company did not recognize any impairment charges associated with the Company’s acquired intangible assets in the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Software Development Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Software Development Costs

In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350-40, Internal Use Software, the Company capitalizes certain internal-use software development costs associated with creating and enhancing internally developed software related to its platforms. Software development activities generally consist of three stages (i) the research and planning stage, (ii) the application and development stage, and (iii) the post-implementation stage. Costs incurred in the research and planning stage and in the post-implementation stage of software development, or other maintenance and development expenses that do not meet the qualification for capitalization, are expensed as incurred. Costs incurred in the application and development stage, including significant enhancements and upgrades, are capitalized. These costs include personnel and related employee benefits expenses for employees or consultants who are directly associated with and who devote time to software projects and external direct costs of materials obtained in developing the software. The Company also capitalizes certain costs associated with cloud computing arrangements ("CCAs"). These software developments, acquired technology, and CCA costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of five years upon initial release of the software or additional features. The Company reviews the software development costs for impairment when circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If the carrying value of an asset group is not recoverable, the Company recognizes an impairment loss for the excess of carrying value over the fair value in its consolidated statements of operations. See Note 5 for further details.

Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]

Leases

Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), established a right-of-use model that requires a lessee to record a right-of-use asset and a right-of-use liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases are classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The Company does not record leases on the balance sheet that have a lease term of 12 months or less at the commencement date.

Revenue [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

The Company generates revenue from four primary sources: (1) revenue from its managed services when a marketer (typically a brand, agency, or partner) pays the Company to provide custom content, influencer marketing, amplification, or other campaign management services (“Managed Services”); (2) revenue from fees charged to software customers on their marketplace spend within the Company's IZEAx and Shake platforms (“Marketplace Spend Fees”); (3) revenue from license and subscription fees charged to access the IZEAx and BrandGraph platforms (“License Fees”); and, (4) revenue derived from other fees such as inactivity fees, early cash-out fees, and other miscellaneous fees charged to users of the Company's platforms (“Other Fees”).

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). Under ASC 606, revenue is recognized based on a five-step model as follows: (i) identify the contract with the customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) performance obligations are satisfied. The core principle of ASC 606 is that revenue is recognized when the transfer of promised goods or services to customers is made in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that it will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are distinct performance obligations.

The Company also determines whether it acts as an agent or a principal for each identified performance obligation. The determination of whether the Company acts as principal or agent is highly subjective and requires the Company to evaluate a number of indicators individually and as a whole in order to make its determination. For transactions in which the Company acts as a principal, revenue is reported on a gross basis as the amount paid by the marketer for the purchase of content or sponsorship, promotion, and other related services and the Company records the amounts it pays to third-party creators as cost of revenue. For transactions in which the Company acts as an agent, revenue is reported on a net basis as the amount the

Company charged to the self-service marketer using the Company’s platforms, less the amounts paid to the third-party creators providing the service.

The Company maintains separate arrangements with each marketer and content creator either in the form of a master agreement or terms of service, which specify the terms of the relationship and access to its platforms or by statement of work, which specifies the price and the services to be performed, along with other terms. The transaction price is determined based on the fixed fee stated in the statement of work and does not contain variable consideration. Marketers who contract with the Company to manage their advertising campaigns or custom content requests may prepay for services or request credit terms. Payment terms are typically 30 days from the invoice date. The agreement typically provides for either a non-refundable deposit or a cancellation fee if the agreement is canceled by the customer prior to completion of services. Billings in advance of completed services are recorded as a contract liability until earned. The Company assesses collectability based on several factors, including the creditworthiness of the customer and payment and transaction history.

Managed Services Revenue

For Managed Services Revenue, the Company enters into an agreement to provide services that may include multiple distinct performance obligations in the form of (i) an integrated marketing campaign to provide influencer marketing services, which may include the provision of blogs, tweets, photos, or videos shared through social network offerings and content promotion, such as click-through advertisements appearing in websites and social media channels, and (ii) custom content items, such as a research or news article, informational material or videos. Marketers typically purchase influencer marketing services to provide public awareness or advertising buzz regarding the marketer’s brand and purchase custom content for internal and external use. The Company may provide one type or a combination of all types of these performance obligations on a statement of work for a lump sum fee. The Company allocates revenue to each performance obligation in the contract at inception based on its relative standalone selling price. These performance obligations are to be provided over a stated period that generally ranges from one day to one year. Revenue is accounted for when the performance obligation has been satisfied depending on the type of service provided. The Company views its obligation to deliver influencer marketing services, including management services, as a single performance obligation that is satisfied over time as the customer receives the benefits from the services. Revenue is recognized using an input method of costs incurred compared to total expected costs to measure the progress towards satisfying the overall performance obligation of the marketing campaign. The delivery of custom content represents a distinct performance obligation that is satisfied over time as the Company has no alternative for the custom content, and the Company has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date under the contracts. The Company considers custom content to be a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the customer, and revenue is recognized over time using an output method based on when each individual piece of content is delivered to the customer. Based on the Company’s evaluations, revenue from Managed Services is reported on a gross basis because the Company has the primary obligation to fulfill the performance obligations and it creates, reviews, and controls the services. The Company takes on the risk of payment to any third-party creators, and it establishes the contract price directly with its customers based on the services requested in the statement of work.

Marketplace Spend Fees Revenue

For Marketplace Spend Fees Revenue, the self-service customers instruct creators found through the Company’s IZEAx and Shake platforms to provide and/or distribute custom content for an agreed-upon transaction price. The Company’s platforms control the contracting, description of services, acceptance of, and payment for the requested content. This service is used primarily by news agencies or marketers to control the outsourcing of their content and advertising needs. The Company charges the self-service customer the transaction price plus a fee based on the contract. Revenue is recognized when the transaction is completed by the creator and accepted by the marketer or verified as posted by the system. Based on the Company’s evaluations, this revenue is reported on a net basis since the Company is acting as an agent through its platform for the third-party creator to provide the services or content directly to the self-service customer or to post approved content through one or more social media platforms.

License Fees Revenue

License Fees Revenue is generated through the granting of limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licenses to customers for the use of the IZEAx, BrandGraph, and until February 2020, the TapInfluence technology platforms for an agreed-upon subscription period. Customers license the platforms to manage their own influencer marketing campaigns. Fees for subscription or licensing services are recognized straight-line over the term of the service.

Other Fees Revenue

Other Fees Revenue is generated when fees are charged to the Company’s platform users primarily related to monthly plan fees, inactivity fees, and early cash-out fees. Plan fees are recognized within the month they relate to, inactivity fees are

recognized at a point in time when the account is deemed inactive, and early cash-out fees are recognized when a cash-out is either below certain minimum thresholds or when accelerated payout timing is requested. The Company does not typically engage in contracts that are longer than one year. Therefore, the Company does not capitalize costs to obtain its customer contracts as these amounts generally would be recognized over a period of less than one year and are not material.

Advertising Cost [Policy Text Block]

dvertising CostsAdvertising costs are charged to expense as they are incurred, including payments to content creators to promote the Company. Advertising costs charged to operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, and 2020 were approximately $2.0 million and $0.7 million, respectively. Advertising costs are included in sales and marketing expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes

The Company has not recorded federal income tax expense due to its history of net operating losses. Deferred income taxes are accounted for using the balance sheet approach, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company incurs minimal state franchise tax in four states, which is included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

     The Company identifies and evaluates uncertain tax positions, if any, and recognizes the impact of uncertain tax positions for which there is a less than more-likely-than-not probability of the position being upheld when reviewed by the relevant taxing authority. Such positions are deemed to be unrecognized tax benefits and a corresponding liability is established on the balance sheet. The Company has not recognized a liability for uncertain tax positions. If there were an unrecognized tax benefit, the Company would recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating expenses. The Company’s tax years subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service are 2016 through 2019.

In March 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. The CARES Act, among other things, includes provisions relating to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of employer-side social security payments, net operating loss carryback periods, alternative minimum tax credit refunds, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations, increased limitations on qualified charitable contributions, and technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property. It also appropriated funds for the PPP loans that are forgivable in certain situations to promote continued employment, as well as Economic Injury Disaster Loans to provide liquidity to small businesses harmed by COVID-19.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments are recorded at fair value. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The valuation techniques are based on observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect readily obtainable data from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect certain market assumptions. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

•Level 1 – Valuation based on quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.

•Level 2 – Valuation based on quoted market prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets.

•Level 3 – Valuation based on unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity, therefore requiring management’s best estimate of what market participants would use as fair value.

Fair value estimates discussed herein are based upon certain market assumptions and pertinent information available to management. As of December 31, 2021, the Company does not have any Level 1, 2, or 3 financial assets or liabilities.

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation cost related to stock options granted under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, and the 2011 B Equity Incentive Plan (together, the “2011 Equity Incentive Plans”) (see Note 9) is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense over the employee’s requisite service period on a straight-line basis. The Company estimates the fair value of each option award on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model that uses the assumptions noted in the table below. The Company uses the simplified method to estimate the expected term of employee stock options because it does not believe historical exercise data will provide a reasonable basis for estimating the expected term for the current share options granted. The simplified method assumes that employees will exercise share options evenly between the period when the share options are vested and ending on the date when the options would expire. The Company uses the closing stock price of its common stock on the date of the grant as the associated fair value of its common stock. For issuances after June 30, 2019, the Company estimates the volatility of its common stock at the date of grant based on the volatility of its stock during the period. For issuances on or prior to June 30, 2019, the Company estimated the volatility of its common stock at the date of grant based on the volatility of comparable peer companies that were publicly traded and had a longer trading history than the Company. The Company uses the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury issues with an equivalent remaining term approximately equal to the expected life of the award. The Company has never paid any cash dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

The Company used the following assumptions for stock options granted under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plans during the twelve months ended December 31, 2021, and 2020:

	Twelve Months Ended
2011 Equity Incentive Plans Assumptions	December 31, 2021	December 31, 2020
Expected term	6 years	6 years
Weighted average volatility	120.18%	108.58%
Weighted average risk-free interest rate	0.98%	0.46%
Expected dividends	—	—
Weighted average expected forfeiture rate	11.74%	7.72%

The Company estimates forfeitures when recognizing compensation expense and this estimate of forfeitures is adjusted over the requisite service period based on the extent to which actual forfeitures differ, or are expected to differ, from such estimates. Changes in estimated forfeitures are recognized through a cumulative catch-up adjustment, which is recognized in the period of change, and a revised amount of unamortized compensation expense to be recognized in future periods.

The Company may issue shares of restricted stock or restricted stock units that vest over future periods. The value of shares is recorded as the fair value of the stock or units upon the issuance date and is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. See Note 9 for additional information related to these shares.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Income Taxes: In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. The Company adopted ASU 2019-12 on January 1, 2021 with no material impact on its current reporting in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Investments - Equity Securities: In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-01, Investments - Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Clarifying the Interactions between Topic 321, 323 and Topic 815 (“ASU 2020-01”) to clarify the scope and interaction between these standards for equity securities, equity method and certain derivatives. The Company adopted ASU No. 2020-01 on January 1, 2021 with no material impact on its current reporting in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Reference Rate Reform: In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (“ASU 2020-04”), and further issued ASU No. 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope (“ASU 2021-01”), in January 2021 to provide optional guidance for a limited time to ease the potential burden in accounting for (or recognizing the effects of) reference rate reform on financial reporting. ASU 2020-04 and ASU 2021-01 also provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions impacted by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. Additionally, they only apply to contracts and hedging relationships that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. ASU 2020-04 is effective immediately and may be applied prospectively to contract modifications made and hedging relationships entered into or evaluated on or before December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2021, the Company does not have any contracts that reference LIBOR rates and this guidance has not had a material impact on its financial statements.

Codification Improvements: In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-08, Codification Improvements to Subtopic 310-20, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs ("ASU 2020-08"), and ASU No. 2020-10, Codification Improvements ("ASU 2020-10"). ASU 2020-08 and ASU 2020-10 provide changes to clarify or improve existing guidance. The Company adopted ASU No. 2020-08 and ASU No. 2020-10 on January 1, 2021, with no material impact on its current reporting in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

Credit Losses: In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology under current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires a consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 requires the use of a forward-looking expected credit loss model for accounts receivables, loans, and other financial instruments. In May 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05, which provides transition relief for entities adopting ASU 2016-13. For entities that have adopted ASU 2016-13, the amendments in ASU 2019-05 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods therein. An entity may early adopt ASU No. 2019-05 in any interim period after its issuance if the entity has adopted ASU 2016-13. For all other entities, the effective date will be the same as the effective date of ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the expected impact of adopting ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

Convertible Instruments: In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”). ASU 2020-06 simplifies the guidance on the issuer’s accounting for convertible debt instruments by removing the separation models for (1) convertible debt with a cash conversion feature and (2) convertible instruments with a beneficial conversion feature. As a result, entities will not separately present in equity an embedded conversion feature in such debt. Instead, they will account for a convertible debt instrument wholly as debt, unless certain other conditions are met. The elimination of these models will reduce reported interest expense and increase reported net income for entities that have issued a convertible instrument that was within the scope of those models before the adoption of ASU 2020-06. Also, ASU 2020-06 requires the application of the if-converted method for calculating diluted earnings per share and the treasury stock method will be no longer available. The provisions of ASU 2020-06 are applicable for the Company as a smaller reporting company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-06 on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers: In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2021-08”). Under ASU 2021-08, an acquirer in a business combination must apply ASC 606 principles when recognizing and measuring acquired contract assets and contract liabilities. The provisions of ASU 2021-08 are applicable for the Company for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2021-08 on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Derivatives, Reporting of Derivative Activity

Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative financial instruments are defined as financial instruments or other contracts that contain a notional amount and one or more underlying factors (e.g., interest rate, security price or other variable), require no initial net investment and permit net settlement. Derivative financial instruments may be free-standing or embedded in other financial instruments. Further, derivative financial instruments are initially, and subsequently, measured at fair value and recorded as liabilities or assets. The Company accounts for derivative instruments in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), which requires additional disclosures about the Company’s objectives and strategies for using derivative instruments, how the derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for, and how the derivative instruments and related hedging items affect the financial statements. The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risk. Terms of equity instruments are reviewed to determine whether or not they contain embedded derivative instruments that are required under ASC 815 to be accounted for separately from the host contract and recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. The fair value of derivative liabilities, if any, is required to be revalued at each reporting date, with corresponding changes in fair value recorded in current period operating results. Pursuant to ASC 815, an evaluation of specifically identified conditions is made to determine whether the fair value of warrants issued is required to be classified as equity or as a derivative liability.

The Company issued 17,500 warrant shares issued in September 2015 with an exercise price of $10.20. These warrants expired in 2020 with no value.