JOINT Corp - Quarter Report: 2016 March (Form 10-Q)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, cash paid for income taxes was $3,625 and $0, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, cash paid for interest was $2,648 and $0, respectively.

 

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activity:

 

As of March 31, 2016, we had property and equipment purchases of $796,581 and $147,186 which were included in accounts payable and accrued expenses, respectively.

 

In connection with our reacquisition and termination of regional developer rights during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, we had deferred revenue of $36,250 and $572,750, respectively, representing license fees collected upon the execution of the regional developer agreements.  We netted these amounts against the aggregate purchase price of the acquisitions (Note 5).

 

In connection with our acquisitions of franchises during the three months ended March 31, 2015, we acquired $525,000 of property and equipment, intangible assets of $329,000 and assumed deferred revenue associated with membership packages paid in advance of $104,936 in exchange for $1,830,000 in cash and notes payable issued to the sellers for an aggregate amount of $255,000. Additionally, at the time of these transactions, we carried deferred revenue of $348,000, representing franchise fees collected upon the execution of franchise agreements, and deferred costs of $155,900, related to our acquisition of undeveloped franchises. We netted these amounts against the aggregate purchase price of the acquisitions (Note 2).

 

Note 1:      Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of Presentation

 

These unaudited financial statements represent the condensed consolidated financial statements of The Joint Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary The Joint Corporate Unit No. 1, LLC (collectively, the “Company”). These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with The Joint Corp. and Subsidiary consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto as set forth in The Joint Corp.’s Form 10-K, which included all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles. In the opinion of management, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly our financial position on a consolidated basis and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for the periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 are not necessarily indicative of expected operating results for the full year. The information presented throughout the document as of and for the periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 is unaudited.

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Joint Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary, The Joint Corporate Unit No. 1, LLC, which was dormant for all periods presented.

 

All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between The Joint Corp. and its subsidiary have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Comprehensive Loss

 

Net loss and comprehensive loss are the same for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

Nature of Operations

 

The Joint Corp. (“The Joint”), a Delaware corporation, was formed on March 10, 2010 for the principal purpose of franchising chiropractic clinics, selling regional developer rights and supporting the operations of franchised chiropractic clinics at locations throughout the United States of America. The franchising of chiropractic clinics is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and various state authorities.

 

The following table summarizes the number of clinics in operation under franchise agreements for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015:

 

 

 

Variable Interest Entities

 

An entity deemed to hold the controlling interest in a voting interest entity or deemed to be the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) is required to consolidate the VIE in its financial statements. An entity is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of a VIE if it has both of the following characteristics: (a) the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and (b) the obligation to absorb the majority of losses of the VIE or the right to receive the majority of benefits from the VIE. Investments where the Company does not hold the controlling interest and are not the primary beneficiary are accounted for under the equity method.

 

Certain states in which the Company manages clinics regulate the practice of chiropractic care and require that chiropractic services be provided by legal entities organized under state laws as professional corporations or PCs. Such PCs are VIEs. In these states, the Company has entered into management services agreements with PCs under which the Company provides, on an exclusive basis, all non-clinical services of the chiropractic practice.  The Company has analyzed its relationship with the PCs and has determined that the Company does not have the power to direct the activities of the PCs. As such, the activity of the PCs is not included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company continually monitors its positions with, and credit quality of, the financial institutions with which it invests. As of the balance sheet date and periodically throughout the period, the Company has maintained balances in various operating accounts in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has invested substantially all of its cash in short-term bank deposits. The Company had no cash equivalents as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

 

Restricted Cash

 

Restricted cash relates to cash franchisees and corporate clinics contribute to the Company’s National Marketing Fund and cash franchisees provide to various voluntary regional Co-Op Marketing Funds. Cash contributed by franchisees to the National Marketing Fund is to be used in accordance with the Company’s Franchise Disclosure Document with a focus on regional and national marketing and advertising.

 

Concentrations of Credit Risk

 

From time to time, the Company grants credit in the normal course of business to franchisees related to the collection of royalties, and other operating revenues. The Company periodically performs credit analysis and monitors the financial condition of the franchisees to reduce credit risk. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, three PC entities and six franchisees represented 36% and 31%, respectively, of outstanding accounts receivable. The Company did not have any customers that represented greater than 10% of its revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable represent amounts due from franchisees for initial franchise fees, royalty fees, marketing and advertising expenses, working capital advances due from PCs, and tenant improvement allowances due from landlords. The Company considers a reserve for doubtful accounts based on the creditworthiness of the entity. The provision for uncollectible amounts is continually reviewed and adjusted to maintain the allowance at a level considered adequate to cover future losses. The allowance is management’s best estimate of uncollectible amounts and is determined based on specific identification and historical performance that the Company tracks on an ongoing basis. The losses ultimately could differ materially in the near term from the amounts estimated in determining the allowance. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $142,661.

 

Deferred Franchise Costs

 

Deferred franchise costs represent commissions that are paid in conjunction with the sale of a franchise and are expensed when the respective revenue is recognized, which is generally upon the opening of a clinic.

 

Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the assets.

 

Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred; major renewals and improvements are capitalized. When items of property or equipment are sold or retired, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in income.

 

Software Developed

 

The Company capitalizes certain software development costs. These capitalized costs are primarily related to proprietary software used by clinics for operations and by the Company for the management of operations. Costs incurred in the preliminary stages of development are expensed as incurred. Once an application has reached the development stage, internal and external costs, if direct, are capitalized as assets in progress until the software is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. Capitalization ceases upon completion of all substantial testing. The Company also capitalizes costs related to specific upgrades and enhancements when it is probable the expenditures will result in additional functionality. Software developed is recorded as part of property and equipment. Maintenance and training costs are expensed as incurred. Internal use software is amortized on a straight line basis over its estimated useful life, generally five years.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets consist primarily of re-acquired franchise and regional developer rights and customer relationships.  The Company amortizes the fair value of re-acquired franchise rights over the remaining contractual terms of the re-acquired franchise rights at the time of the acquisition, which range from six to eight years. In the case of regional developer rights the Company amortizes the acquired regional developer rights over seven years. The fair value of customer relationships is amortized over their estimated useful life of two years.

 

Goodwill

 

Goodwill consists of the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in the acquisitions discussed in Note 2.  Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests. As required, the Company performs an annual impairment test of goodwill as of the first day of the fourth quarter or more frequently if events or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. No impairments of goodwill were recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

Long-Lived Assets

 

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recovered. The Company looks primarily to estimated undiscounted future cash flows in its assessment of whether or not long-lived assets have been impaired. No impairments of long-lived assets were recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

Advertising Fund

 

The Company has established an advertising fund for national/regional marketing and advertising of services offered by its clinics. The monthly marketing fee was increased to 2% in January 2015. The Company segregates the marketing funds collected which are included in restricted cash on its consolidated balance sheets. As amounts are expended from the fund, the Company recognizes advertising fund revenue and a related expense. Amounts collected in excess of marketing expenditures are included in restricted cash on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. 

 

Co-Op Marketing Funds

 

Some franchises have established regional Co-Ops for advertising within their local and regional markets. The Company maintains a custodial relationship under which the marketing funds collected are segregated and used for the purposes specified by the Co-Ops’ officers. The marketing funds are included in restricted cash on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

Deferred Rent

 

The Company leases office space for its corporate offices and company-owned and managed clinics under operating leases, which may include rent holidays and rent escalation clauses.  It recognizes rent holiday periods and scheduled rent increases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.  The Company records tenant improvement allowances as deferred rent and amortizes the allowance over the term of the lease, as a reduction to rent expense.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company generates revenue through initial franchise fees, regional developer fees, royalties, advertising fund revenue, IT related income, and computer software fees, and from its company-owned and managed clinics.

 

Franchise Fees. The Company requires the entire non-refundable initial franchise fee to be paid upon execution of a franchise agreement, which typically has an initial term of ten years. Initial franchise fees are recognized as revenue when the Company has substantially completed its initial services under the franchise agreement, which typically occurs upon opening of the clinic.  The Company’s services under the franchise agreement include: training of franchisees and staff, site selection, construction/vendor management and ongoing operations support. The Company provides no financing to franchisees and offers no guarantees on their behalf.

 

Regional Developer Fees. During 2011, the Company established a regional developer program to engage independent contractors to assist in developing specified geographical regions. Under this program, regional developers pay a license fee ranging from $7,250 to 25% of the then current franchise fee for each franchise they receive the right to develop within the region. Each regional developer agreement establishes a minimum number of franchises that the regional developer must develop. Regional developers receive fees ranging from $14,500 to $19,950, which are collected upon the sale of franchises within their region, and a royalty of 3% of sales generated by franchised clinics in their region. Regional developer license fees are non-refundable and are recognized as revenue when the Company has performed substantially all initial services required by the regional developer agreement, which generally is considered to be upon the opening of each franchised clinic. Upon the execution of a regional developer agreement, the Company estimates the number of franchised clinics to be opened, which is typically consistent with the contracted minimum. When the Company anticipates that the number of franchised clinics to be opened will exceed the contracted minimum, the license fee on a per-clinic basis is determined by dividing the total fee collected from the regional developer by the revised number of clinics expected to be opened within the region. Certain regional developer agreements provide that no additional fee is required for franchises developed by the regional developer above the contracted minimum, while other regional developer agreements require a supplemental payment. The Company reassesses the number of clinics expected to be opened as the regional developer performs under its regional developer agreement. When a material change to the original estimate becomes apparent, the fee per clinic is revised on a prospective basis, and the unrecognized fees are allocated among, and recognized as revenue upon the opening of, the expected remaining unopened franchised clinics within the region. The regional developer’s services under regional developer agreements include site selection, grand opening support for the clinics, sales support for identification of qualified franchisees, general operational support and marketing support to advertise for ownership opportunities. Several of the regional developer agreements grant the Company the option to repurchase the regional developer’s license.

 

Revenues and Management Fees from Company Clinics.  The Company earns revenues from clinics that it owns and operates or manages throughout the United States.  In those states where the Company owns and operates the clinic, revenues are recognized when services are performed. The Company offers a variety of membership and wellness packages which feature discounted pricing as compared with its single-visit pricing.  Amounts collected in advance for membership and wellness packages are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized when the service is performed.  In other states where state law requires the chiropractic practice to be owned by a licensed chiropractor, the Company enters into a management agreement with the doctor’s PC.  Under the management agreement, the Company provides administrative and business management services to the doctor’s PC in return for a monthly management fee.  When the collectability of the full management fee is uncertain, the Company recognizes management fee revenue only to the extent of fees expected to be collected from the PCs.

 

Royalties.  The Company collects royalties, as stipulated in the franchise agreement, equal to 7% of gross sales, and a marketing and advertising fee currently equal to 2% of gross sales. Certain franchisees with franchise agreements acquired during the formation of the Company pay a monthly flat fee. Royalties are recognized as revenue when earned. Royalties are collected bi-monthly two working days after each sales period has ended.

 

IT Related Income and Software Fees.  The Company collects a monthly computer software fee for use of its proprietary chiropractic software, computer support, and internet services support. These fees are recognized on a monthly basis as services are provided. IT related revenue represents a flat fee to purchase a clinic’s computer equipment, operating software, preinstalled chiropractic system software, key card scanner (patient identification card), credit card scanner and credit card receipt printer. These fees are recognized as revenue upon receipt of equipment by the franchisee.

 

Advertising Costs

 

The Company incurs advertising costs in addition to those included in the advertising fund. The Company’s policy is to expense all operating advertising costs as incurred. Advertising expenses were $422,098 and $268,506 for three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740 that requires the recognition of deferred income taxes for differences between the basis of assets and liabilities for financial statement and income tax purposes. The differences relate principally to depreciation of property and equipment and treatment of revenue for franchise fees and regional developer fees collected. Deferred tax assets and liabilities represent the future tax consequence for those differences, which will either be taxable or deductible when the assets and liabilities are recovered or settled. Deferred taxes are also recognized for operating losses that are available to offset future taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

 

The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes by recognizing the tax benefit or expense from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company measures the tax benefits and expenses recognized in the condensed consolidated financial statements from such a position based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.

 

At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company maintained a liability for income taxes for uncertain tax positions of approximately $49,300 and $66,000, respectively, of which $32,000 and $33,000, respectively, represent penalties and interest and are recorded in the  “other liabilities” section of the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Interest and penalties associated with tax positions are recorded in the period assessed as general and administrative expenses. The Company’s tax returns for tax years subject to examination by tax authorities include 2011 through the current period for state and 2012 through the current period for federal reporting purposes.

 

Loss per Common Share

 

Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is computed by giving effect to all potentially dilutive common shares including preferred stock, restricted stock, and stock options.

 

 

The following table summarizes the potential shares of common stock that were excluded from diluted net loss per share, because the effect of including these potential shares was anti-dilutive:

 

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

The Company accounts for share based payments by recognizing compensation expense based upon the estimated fair value of the awards on the date of grant. The Company determines the estimated grant-date fair value of restricted shares using quoted market prices and the grant-date fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. In order to calculate the fair value of the options, certain assumptions are made regarding the components of the model, including the estimated fair value of underlying common stock, risk-free interest rate, volatility, expected dividend yield and expected option life. Prior to the IPO, the grant date fair value was determined by the Board of Directors. Changes to the assumptions could cause significant adjustments to the valuation. The Company recognizes compensation costs ratably over the period of service using the straight-line method.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Items subject to significant estimates and assumptions include the allowance for doubtful accounts, share-based compensation arrangements, fair value of stock options, useful lives and realizability of long-lived assets, classification of deferred revenue and deferred franchise costs, uncertain tax positions, realizability of deferred tax assets, impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and purchase price allocations.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard becomes effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.

 

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern: Disclosures about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern.” The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The new guidance is effective for our December 31, 2016 Form 10-K, and interim periods thereafter. The Company does not expect any changes to its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows as a result of adoption of this standard, however, additional disclosures might be required in our financial statements.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10),” Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of adoption of this standard, if any, on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” The ASU requires that substantially all operating leases be recognized as assets and liabilities on our balance sheet, which is a significant departure from the current standard, which classifies operating leases as off balance sheet transactions and accounts for only the current year operating lease expense in the statement of operations. The right to use the leased property is to be capitalized as an asset and the expected lease payments over the life of the lease will be accounted for as a liability. The effective date is for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2018. While we have not quantified the impact this proposed standard would have on our financial statements, if our current operating leases are instead recognized on the balance sheet, it will result in a significant increase in the asset and liabilities reflected on our balance sheet and in the interest expense and depreciation and amortization expense reflected in our statement of operations, while reducing the amount of rent expense. This could potentially decrease the Company’s reported net income.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”), which amends ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). The standard is intended to simplify several areas of accounting for share-based compensation arrangements, including the accounting for income taxes, classification of excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification of employee taxes paid on the statement of cash flows when an employer withholds shares for tax-withholding purposes. ASU 2016-09 is effective for our interim and annual reporting periods beginning January 1, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the method of adoption and impact the update will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Note 2:      Acquisitions

 

Franchises acquired during 2015

 

During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company continued to execute its growth strategy and entered into a series of unrelated transactions with existing franchisees to re-acquire an aggregate of 24 developed and 35 undeveloped franchises throughout Arizona, California, and New York for an aggregate purchase price of $5,725,875, subject to certain adjustments, consisting of cash of $4,925,525 and notes payable of $800,350. Of the 24 developed franchises, the Company is operating 22 as company-owned or managed clinics and has closed the remaining two clinics. The 35 undeveloped franchises have been terminated and the Company may relocate them. At the time these transactions were consummated, the Company carried a deferred revenue balance of $1,005,500, representing franchise fees collected upon the execution of the franchise agreements, and deferred franchise costs of $493,500, related to undeveloped franchises.  The Company accounted for the franchise rights associated with the undeveloped franchises as a cancellation, and the respective deferred revenue and deferred franchise costs were netted against the aggregate purchase price.  The remaining $5,213,875 was accounted for as consideration paid for the acquired franchises.

 

Additionally, in January 2015, in connection with the default by a franchisee under its franchise agreement, the Company assumed substantially all of the assets of a clinic in Tempe, Arizona in exchange for $25,000.  The Company has accounted for this as a business combination.  The Company completed its valuation of the fair value of the assets acquired, including intangible assets, in September 2015. Because the net assets acquired exceeded the consideration paid, the Company recognized a bargain purchase gain of $233,804 during the year ended December 31, 2015.

 

The Company also recognized a bargain purchase gain of $27,343 related to the acquisition of two developed franchises and seven undeveloped franchises in San Diego, California. Total bargain purchase gain for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $261,147.

 

The Company incurred $393,069 of transaction costs related to these acquisitions for the year ended December 31, 2015 which are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of operations.

 

Purchase Price Allocation

 

The purchase price allocations for these acquisitions are complete with the exception of the acquisition completed on December 29, 2015. For that transaction the balances are preliminary and subject to further adjustment upon finalization of the opening balance sheet. The following summarizes the aggregate fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed during 2015 as of the acquisition date:

 

 

Intangible assets in the table above consist of reacquired franchise rights of $1,458,667 and customer relationships of $483,513, and will be amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from six to eight years and two years, respectively.

 

Goodwill recorded in connection with these acquisitions was attributable to the workforce of the clinics and synergies expected to arise from cost savings opportunities. All of the recorded goodwill is tax-deductible. 

 

Pro Forma Results of Operations (Unaudited)

 

The following table summarizes selected unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated statements of operations data for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 as if the acquisitions had been completed on January 1, 2015.

 

 

This selected unaudited pro forma consolidated financial data is included only for the purpose of illustration and does not necessarily indicate what the operating results would have been if the acquisitions had been completed on that date. Moreover, this information is not indicative of what the Company’s future operating results will be. The information for 2015 and 2016 prior to the acquisitions is included based on prior accounting records maintained by the acquired companies. In some cases, accounting policies differed materially from accounting policies adopted by the Company following the acquisitions. For 2016, this information includes actual data recorded in its financial statements for the period subsequent to the date of the acquisitions. The Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 includes net revenue and net income of approximately $387,000 and $4,000, respectively, attributable to the 2015 acquisitions.

 

The pro forma amounts included in the table above reflect the application of accounting policies and adjustment of the results of the clinics to reflect the additional depreciation and amortization that would have been charged assuming the fair value adjustments to property and equipment and intangible assets had been applied from January 1, 2015, together with the consequential tax impacts.

Note 3:      Notes Receivable

 

Effective July 2012, the Company sold a company-owned clinic, including the license agreement, equipment, and customer base, in exchange for a $90,000 unsecured promissory note. The note bears interest at 6% per annum for fifty-four months and requires monthly principal and interest payments over forty-two months, beginning August 2013 and maturing January 2017.

 

Effective July 2015, the Company entered into two license transfer agreements, in exchange for $10,000 and $29,925 in separate unsecured promissory notes.  The non-interest bearing notes require monthly principal payments over 24 months, beginning on September 1, 2015 and maturing on August 1, 2017.

 

Effective July 2015, the Company entered into a license transfer agreement, in exchange for $29,925 in an unsecured promissory note.  The note bears interest at 4.0% per annum, and requires monthly principal payments over 12 months, beginning on August 1, 2015 and maturing on July 1, 2016.

 

The outstanding balance of the notes as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 were $59,473 and $76,731, respectively.

Note 4:     Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment consists of the following:

 

 

Depreciation expense was $401,867 and $85,929 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Note 5:      Intangible Assets

 

On January 1, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement under which it repurchased the regional development rights to develop franchises in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in California. The total consideration for the transaction was $275,000, paid in cash. The Company carried a deferred revenue balance associated with these transactions of $36,250, representing license fees collected upon the execution of the regional developer agreements.  The Company accounted for the development rights associated with the unsold or undeveloped franchises as a cancellation, and the respective deferred revenue was netted against the aggregate purchase price or recognized as revenue to the extent deferred revenue was in excess of the cash consideration paid.  

 

Intangible assets consist of the following:

 

 

Amortization expense was $173,677 and $36,667 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Estimated amortization expense for 2016 and subsequent years is as follows:

 

 

Note 6:     Notes Payable

 

During, 2015, the Company delivered 12 notes payable totaling $800,350 as a portion of the consideration paid in connection with the Company’s various acquisitions. Interest rates range from 1.5% to 5.25% with maturities through February of 2017. Repayments during the three months ended March 31, 2016 totaled $120,500.

 

Maturities of our notes payable are as follows as of March 31, 2016:

 

 

Note 7:     Equity

 

Public Offerings of Common Stock

 

The Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) of 3,000,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $6.50 per share on November 14, 2014, whereupon it received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $17,065,000 after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses. The Company’s underwriters exercised their option to purchase 450,000 additional shares of common stock to cover over-allotments on November 18, 2014, pursuant to which it received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $2,710,000, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and expenses.  Also, in conjunction with the IPO, the Company issued warrants to the underwriters for the purchase of 90,000 shares of common stock, which can be exercised between November 10, 2015 and November 10, 2018 at an exercise price of $8.125 per share.

 

On November 25, 2015 the Company closed its follow-on offering of 2,272,727 shares of common stock, at a price to the public of $5.50 per share. On December 30, 2015 the Company’s underwriters exercised their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 340,909 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $5.50 per share After giving effect to the exercise of the over-alllotment option, the total number of shares offered and sold in the Company’s follow-on public offering increased to 2,613,636 shares. With the exercise of the over-allotment option, the Company received aggregate net proceeds of approximately $13.0 million.

 

Stock Options

 

In the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company granted 295,000 stock options to employees and certain non-employee members of its board of directors with exercise prices ranging from $3.07 - $4.11.

 

The fair value of the Company’s common stock prior to its IPO was estimated by the Board of Directors at or about the time of grant for each share-based award. At each grant, the board considered a number of factors in establishing a value for the Company’s common stock including its EBITDA, assessments of an amount its shareholders would accept in the private sale of the Company, discussions with its investment bankers regarding pricing of the Company’s common stock in an initial public offering and the probability of successfully completing an IPO. Although the methods for determining the fair value of the Company’s common stock are not complex, the board’s estimate of the fair value of the common stock did involve subjectivity, especially assessments of value in a private sale and estimates of value in the public stock market.

 

Upon the completion of the Company’s IPO, its stock trading price became the basis of fair value of its common stock used in determining the value of share based awards. To the extent the value of the Company’s share based awards involves a measure of volatility, it will rely upon the volatilities from publicly traded companies with similar business models until its common stock has accumulated enough trading history for it to utilize its own historical volatility. The expected life of the options granted is based on the average of the vesting term and the contractual term of the option. The risk-free rate for periods within the expected life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury 10-year yield curve in effect at the date of the grant.

 

The Company has computed the fair value of all options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, using the following assumptions:

 

 

The information below summarizes the stock options:

 

 

The intrinsic value of the Company’s stock options outstanding was $453,986 at March 31, 2016.

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, stock based compensation expense for stock options was $107,506, and $43,529, respectively.   Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for stock options as of March 31, 2016 was $1,055,308, which is expected to be recognized ratably over the next 3.4 years.

 

Restricted Stock

 

The information below summaries the restricted stock activity:

 

 

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, stock based compensation expense for restricted stock was $90,163, and $88,758, respectively. Unrecognized stock based compensation expense for restricted stock awards as of March 31, 2016 was $700,543 to be recognized ratably over the next 2.3 years.

Note 8:      Income Taxes

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company recorded income tax expense of approximately $44,000 due to state tax expense as a result of current year state income taxes and a lower estimate of income tax refunds available through net operating loss (NOL) carrybacks.

Note 9:      Related Party Transactions

 

The Company entered into consulting and legal agreements with certain common stockholders related to services performed for the operations and transaction related activities of the Company.  Amounts paid to or for the benefit of these stockholders was approximately $110,000 and $209,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Note 10:      Commitments and Contingencies

 

Operating Leases

 

The Company leases its corporate office space and the space for each of the company-owned or managed clinics in the portfolio.

 

Total rent expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 was $752,495 and $118,000, respectively.

 

Future minimum annual lease payments are as follows:

 

 

Litigation

 

In the normal course of business, the Company is party to litigation from time to time.

 

On July 7, 2015, a group of six franchisees, who formerly owned a total of 8 franchise licenses that were terminated by the Company due to defaults in performance, commenced a collective arbitration proceeding before the American Arbitration Association in San Diego, California. The claimants’ demand for arbitration asserts claims for breach of contract, promissory fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, wrongful termination of franchise agreements and “wrongful competition” pursuant to unspecified state business practices, unfair competition and franchise statutes. The claimants also seek “a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting the Company from seeking to operate corporate clinics within 25 miles of any franchise clinic.” Although commenced in California, the arbitration proceeding has been moved to Arizona, pursuant to the franchise agreements in dispute, which include clauses that make it mandatory for any arbitration proceeding to be conducted in Phoenix, Arizona. The Company has also asserted counterclaims against each of the claimants for unpaid termination fees due to the premature termination of their licenses. In April 2016, one of the franchisee’s claims was voluntarily dismissed, thereby leaving a total of five claimants with a collective total of 16 former licenses remaining as part of the arbitration proceeding. The Company does not believe that any of the claimants’ affirmative claims, either collectively or individually, have any legal merit and intends to vigorously defend the arbitration proceeding.

 

Note 11:      Segment Reporting

 

An operating segment is defined as a component of an enterprise for which discrete financial information is available and is reviewed regularly by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), to evaluate performance and make operating decisions. We have identified our CODM as the Chief Executive Officer.

 

The Company operates two business segments. The Corporate Clinics segment is comprised of the operating activities of the company-owned or managed clinics. As of March 31, 2016, we operated or managed 54 clinics under this segment. The Franchise Operations segment is comprised of the operating activities of the franchise business unit. As of March 31, 2016, the franchise system consisted of 277 clinics in operation. Corporate is a non-operating segment that develops and implements strategic initiatives and supports our operating segments by centralizing key administrative functions such as finance and treasury, information technology, insurance and risk management, litigation and human resources. Corporate also provides the necessary administrative functions to support the Company as a publicly traded company. A portion of the expenses incurred by Corporate are allocated to the operating segments.

 

The tables below present financial information for our two reportable operating segments (in thousands):

 

 

 

“Unallocated cash and cash equivalents” relates primarily to corporate cash and cash equivalents, “unallocated property and equipment” relates primarily to corporate fixed assets, and “other unallocated assets” relates primarily to deposits, prepaid and other assets.

Note 12:      Subsequent Events

 

On April 29, 2016, the Company entered into an Asset and Franchise Purchase Agreement under which (i) the Company repurchased from the seller three operating franchises in Albuquerque, New Mexico and (ii) the parties terminated a fourth franchise agreement for an undeveloped franchise (together, the “Repurchase Transaction”). The Company intends to operate the operating franchises as Company-owned clinics. The total consideration for the repurchase transaction was $430,000, $344,000 of which was funded with cash, and $86,000 of which was funded with a promissory note.

 

On May 6, 2016, the Company entered into an Asset and Franchise Purchase Agreement under which the Company repurchased from the seller three operating franchises, two of which are located in Riverside County, California and one of which is located in San Bernardino County, California. The Company intends to operate the three franchises to manage three related clinics. The total consideration for the repurchase transaction was $595,000, $ 495,000 of which was paid in cash and $100,000 of which was funded with a promissory note.