Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value.

The Company places its cash and cash equivalents on deposit with financial institutions in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) covers $250,000 for substantially all depository accounts in the United States.  As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $4,127,107 which exceeds the insured amounts in the United States.  The Company also had cash of $625,785 in Europe, and $52,106 in Canada on hand at December 31, 2016.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“US GAAP”), including SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition,” which requires that: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (iii) the sales price is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collectability is reasonably assured. We recognize revenue when services are rendered and/or delivered, where collectability is probable. Deferred revenue primarily consists of advance billings for annual contracts for our legacy annual report service and licenses of our cloud-based platforms.

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets are recorded at cost and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets using principally the straight-line method. When items are retired or otherwise disposed of, income is charged or credited for the difference between net book value and proceeds realized thereon. Ordinary maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred, and replacements and betterments are capitalized. The range of estimated useful lives used to calculate depreciation for principal items of property and equipment are as follow:

Asset Category	Depreciation / Amortization Period
Computer equipment	3 years
Furniture & equipment	3 to 7 years
Leasehold improvements	7 years or lesser of the lease term

Earnings per Share

We calculate earnings per share in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) No. 260 – EPS, which requires that basic net income per common share be computed by dividing net income for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by dividing the net income for the period by the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period.  Shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and restricted stock units totaling 140,000 and 211,250 were excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per common share during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, because their impact was anti-dilutive. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We provide an allowance for doubtful accounts, which is based upon a review of outstanding receivables as well as historical collection information. Credit is granted on an unsecured basis. In determining the amount of the allowance, management is required to make certain estimates and assumptions. The allowance is made up of specific reserves, as deemed necessary, on client account balances, and a reserve based on our historical experience.  The following is a summary of our allowance for doubtful accounts during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

	Year Ended December 31, 2016			Year Ended December 31, 2015
Beginning balance	$	396,884		$	460,564
Bad debt expense		195,327			169,020
Write-offs		(163,019	)		(232,700	)
Ending balance	$	429,192		$	396,884

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US 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. Significant estimates include the allowance for doubtful accounts and the valuation of goodwill, intangible assets, deferred tax assets, and stock-based compensation.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Income Taxes

We comply with the FASB ASC No. 740 – Income Taxes which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.  For any uncertain tax positions, we recognize the impact of a tax position, only if it is more likely than not of being sustained upon examination, based on the technical merits of the position. Our policy regarding the classification of interest and penalties is to classify them as income tax expense in our financial statements, if applicable.   

Capitalized Software

In accordance with FASB ASC No. 350 – Intangibles – Goodwill and Other, costs incurred to develop our cloud-based platform products and disclosure management system components are capitalized when the preliminary project phase is complete, management commits to fund the project and it is probable the project will be completed and used for its intended purposes. Once the software is substantially complete and ready for its intended use, the software is amortized over its estimated useful life.  Costs related to design or maintenance of the software are expensed as incurred.   The Company capitalized $1,506,616 and $749,095 during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  Included in these amounts were $429,234 and $195,411 related to stock-based compensation during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  The Company recorded amortization expense of $182,305 and $25,133 during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, $168,914 and $20,532 of which is included in Cost of revenues on the Consolidated Statements of Income.  For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the remaining amount of $13,391 and $4,601 is included in Depreciation and amortization, as it relates to back-office supporting systems.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

In accordance with the authoritative guidance for accounting for long-lived assets, assets such as property and equipment, trademarks, and intangible assets subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. Recoverability of asset groups to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds fair value of the asset group.

Fair Value Measurements

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we do not have any financial assets or liabilities that are required to be, or that we elected to measure, at fair value.  We believe that the fair value of our financial instruments, which consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, our line of credit, notes payable, and accounts payable approximate their carrying amounts.

Stock-based compensation

We account for stock-based compensation under FASB ASC No. 718 – Compensation – Stock Compensation. The authoritative guidance for stock compensation requires that companies estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of the grant using an option-pricing model. The cost is to be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award. The authoritative guidance for stock compensation also requires the benefit of tax deductions in excess of recognized compensation expense to be reported as a financing cash flow, rather than as an operating cash flow as prescribed under previous accounting rules. This requirement reduces net operating cash flows and increases net financing cash flows in periods subsequent to adoption, only if excess tax benefits exist.

Translation of Foreign Financial Statements

The financial statements of the foreign subsidiaries of the Company have been translated into U.S. dollars.  All assets and liabilities have been translated at current rates of exchange in effect at the end of the period.  Income and expense items have been translated at the average exchange rates for the year or the applicable interim period.  The gains or losses that result from this process are recorded as a separate component of other accumulated comprehensive income (loss) until the entity is sold or substantially liquidated.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income related to changes in the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment.

Business Combinations, Goodwill and Intangible Assets

We account for business combinations under FASB ASC No. 805 – Business Combinations and the related acquired intangible assets and goodwill under FASB ASC No. 350 – Intangibles – Goodwill and Other. The authoritative guidance for business combinations specifies the criteria for recognizing and reporting intangible assets apart from goodwill. We record the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition, with any excess purchase price recorded as goodwill. Goodwill is an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. Intangible assets consist of client relationships, customer lists, software, technology and trademarks that are initially measured at fair value.  At the time of the business combination the trademarks are considered an indefinite-lived asset and, as such, are not amortized as there is no foreseeable limit to cash flows generated from them. The goodwill and intangible assets are assessed annually for impairment, or whenever conditions indicate the asset may be impaired, and any such impairment will be recognized in the period identified. The client relationships, customer lists, software and technology are amortized over their estimated useful lives.

Advertising

The Company expenses advertising as incurred, except for direct-response advertising, which is capitalized and amortized over its expected period of future benefits.  Advertising expense totaled $77,623 and $174,094, during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Newly Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On November 20, 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-17 ("ASU 2015-17”), Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires that all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, in each jurisdiction be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. For public business entities, ASU 2015-17 is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods but may be early adopted. ASU 2015-17 may be applied either prospectively, for all deferred tax assets and liabilities, or retrospectively (i.e., by reclassifying the comparative balance sheets). The Company elected to early adopt ASU 2015-17, on a prospective basis, as of December 31, 2015.

The FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments. The amendments in ASU 2015-16 require that an acquirer recognize adjustments to estimated amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The amendments require that the acquirer record, in the same period’s financial statements, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the estimated amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The amendments also require an entity to present separately on the face of the income statement or disclose in the notes the portion of the amount recorded in current-period earnings by line item that would have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the estimated amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. The amendments in this ASU were effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. ASU 2015-16 did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2015-05, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.  The amendments in ASU 2015-05 provide guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The amendments do not change the accounting for a customer’s accounting for service contracts. As a result of the amendments, all software licenses within the scope of Subtopic 350-40 will be accounted for consistent with other licenses of intangible assets.  ASU 2015-05 is effective for public entities for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. ASU 2015-05 did not have a significant impact on our financial statements. 

The FASB issued ASU 2015-01, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20): Simplifying Income Statement Presentation by Eliminating the Concept of Extraordinary Items.  The FASB issued this ASU as part of its initiative to reduce complexity in accounting standards. The objective of the simplification initiative is to identify, evaluate, and improve areas of US GAAP for which cost and complexity can be reduced while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided to the users of financial statements.  The amendments in ASU 2015-01 were effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015.  ASU 2015-01 did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2014-16, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Determining Whether the Host Contract in a Hybrid Financial Instrument Issued in the Form of a Share Is More Akin to Debt or to Equity.  The amendments in this ASU do not change the current criteria in US GAAP for determining when separation of certain embedded derivative features in a hybrid financial instrument is required. The amendments clarify how current US GAAP should be interpreted in evaluating the economic characteristics and risks of a host contract in a hybrid financial instrument that is issued in the form of a share. Specifically, the amendments clarify that an entity should consider all relevant terms and features, including the embedded derivative feature being evaluated for bifurcation, in evaluating the nature of the host contract. Furthermore, the amendments clarify that no single term or feature would necessarily determine the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract. Rather, the nature of the host contract depends upon the economic characteristics and risks of the entire hybrid financial instrument.  The amendments in this ASU were effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. ASU 2014-16 did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2014-12, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period.  The issue is the result of a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF).  The amendments in the ASU require that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation, as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. The performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award.  Compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered. If the performance target becomes probable of being achieved before the end of the requisite service period, the remaining unrecognized compensation cost should be recognized prospectively over the remaining requisite service period. The total amount of compensation cost recognized during and after the requisite service period should reflect the number of awards that are expected to vest and should be adjusted to reflect those awards that ultimately vest. The requisite service period ends when the employee can cease rendering service and still be eligible to vest in the award if the performance target is achieved.  The amendments in this ASU were effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015.  ASU 2014-12 did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An impairment charge should be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. In addition, income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit should be considered when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. The amendments also eliminate the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment and, if it fails that qualitative test, to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The amendments are effective for public business entities that are SEC filers for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The company does not expect this pronouncement to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarify the definition of a business. The amendments affect all companies and other reporting organizations that must determine whether they have acquired or sold a business. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill, and consolidation. The amendments are intended to help companies and other organizations evaluate whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The amendments are effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. The company does not expect this pronouncement to have a significant impact on its financial statements, unless an acquisition or disposal of assets is completed.

The FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230):  Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provides cash flow statement classification guidance for:  1) Debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; 2) Settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; 3) Contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; 4) Proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; 5) Proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, including bank-owned life insurance policies; 6) Distributions received from equity method investees; 7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and 8) Separately identifiable cash flows and application of the Predominance Principle.  This is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years.  Early application is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  The company does not expect this pronouncement to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326):  Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which, among other things, requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date to be based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Many of the loss estimation techniques applied today will still be permitted, although the inputs to those techniques will change to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses. This is effective for SEC filers for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019.  The company does not expect this pronouncement to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

The FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions including (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either debt or equity liabilities; and (c) classification on the statement of cash flows.  The amendments are effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods.  Early adoption is permitted for any entity in any interim or annual period.  If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustment should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period.  Additionally, as a reminder, an entity that elects to early adopt the new guidance must adopt all of the amendments in the same period. The primary amendment that is expected to impact the Company's financial statements is the requirement for excess tax benefits or shortfalls on the exercise of stock-based compensation awards to be presented in income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income during the period the award is exercised as opposed to being recorded in Additional paid-in capital on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  The excess tax benefit or shortfall is calculated as the difference between the fair value of the award on the date of exercise and the fair value of the award used to measure the expense to be recognized over the service period.  As the result is dependent on the future value of the Company's stock as well as the timing of employee exercises, the amount of the impact cannot be quantified at this time.

The FASB's new leases standard ASU 2016-02 Leases (Topic 842) was issued on February 25, 2016. ASU 2016-02 is intended to improve financial reporting about leasing transactions. The ASU affects all companies and other organizations that lease assets such as real estate, airplanes, and manufacturing equipment. The ASU will require organizations that lease assets referred to as “Lessees” to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. An organization is to provide disclosures designed to enable users of financial statements to understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements concerning additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. Under the new guidance, a lessee will be required to recognize assets and liabilities for leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. Consistent with current US GAAP, the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily will depend on its classification as a finance or operating lease. However, unlike current US GAAP which requires only capital leases to be recognized on the balance sheet the new ASU will require both types of leases (i.e. operating and capital) to be recognized on the balance sheet. The FASB lessee accounting model will continue to account for both types of leases. The capital lease will be accounted for in substantially the same manner as capital leases are accounted for under existing US GAAP. The operating lease will be accounted for in a manner similar to operating leases under existing US GAAP, except that lessees will recognize a lease liability and a lease asset for all of those leases.  Public companies will be required to adopt the new leasing standard for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018.  For calendar year-end public companies, this means an adoption date of January 1, 2019 and retrospective application to previously issued annual and interim financial statements for 2018, however, early adoption is permitted. Lessees with a large portfolio of leases are likely to see a significant increase in balance sheet assets and liabilities. The Company currently has one lease on its corporate facilities which ends October 31, 2019.  Absent any renewal of the lease or new leases entered into before January 1, 2019, the Company will be required to record a right-to-use asset and corresponding lease liability associated with the remaining lease payments beginning with the first interim period of 2019.  This will increase both balance sheet assets and liabilities by insignificant amounts and will not have a significant impact on  the income statement or affect any covenant calculations.

The FASB has issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and several updates to the ASU. ASU 2014-09 requires revenue recognition to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 sets forth a new revenue recognition model that requires identifying the contract, identifying the performance obligations, determining the transaction price, allocating the transaction price to performance obligations and recognizing the revenue upon satisfaction of performance obligations. The amendments in the ASU can be applied either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the update recognized at the date of the initial application along with additional disclosures. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2014-09 as well as the additional updates, however, does not believe it will have a significant impact on the Company's financial statements as the Company believes the current manner in which revenue is recognized will result in the same or similar timing and amount of revenue recognition as required by ASU 2014-09 and the additional amendments.  These ASU's are currently effective for the Company in our year beginning on January 1, 2018.