Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended January 2, 2021

or

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 001-37575

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

641 Lexington Avenue

Suite 2701

New York, New York 10022

(Address of principal executive offices)

(646) 507-5710

(Registrant’s telephone number)

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

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes [  ] No [X]

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

As of June 27, 2020, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $7,040. based on the closing price (last sale of the day) for the registrant’s common stock on the Nasdaq exchange on June 27, 2020 of $1.06 per share.

As of April 15, 2021, 39,166,528 shares of common stock, $0.00001 par value, were outstanding.

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

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

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

The disclosures set forth in this report should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto for the period ended January 2, 2021.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

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

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

Business Model and Acquisitions

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

Operating History

The Company generated revenue of $204,527 and $278,478 for Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019, respectively. This decrease was primarily caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Industry Background

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trends in the Staffing Business

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

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

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

We believe the trends of outsourcing entire departments and dependence on temporary and leased workers will expand opportunities for staffing companies. Taking advantage of their expertise in assessing worker capabilities, some staffing companies manage their clients’ entire human resource functions. Human resources outsourcing (“HRO”) may include management of payroll, tax filings, and benefit administration services. HRO may also include recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”), whereby an agency manages all recruitment activities for a client.

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

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

Competition

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

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

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

Employees

The Company employs approximately 200 full-time employees as part of our internal operations. Additionally, the Company employs more than 3,500 individuals that are placed directly with our clients through our various operating subsidiaries.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

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

Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected our business and may continue to adversely affect our business until the pandemic is resolved.

In December 2019, a strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, and has spread globally, resulting in government-imposed quarantines, travel restrictions and other public health safety measures in affected countries. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting worldwide economic activity, and activity in the United States and the United Kingdom where our operations are based. Much of the independent contractor work we provide to our clients is performed at the site of our clients. As a result, we are subject to the plans and approaches of our clients have made to address the COVID-19 pandemic, such as whether they support remote working or if they have simply closed their facilities and furloughed employees. To the extent that our clients were to decide or are required to close their facilities, or not permit remote work when they close facilities, we would no longer generate revenue and profit from that client. In addition, in the event that our clients’ businesses suffer or close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may experience decline in our revenue or write-off of receivables from such clients. Moreover, developments such as social distancing and shelter-in-place directives have impacted our ability to deploy our staffing workforce effectively, thereby impacting contracts with customers in our commercial staffing and professional staffing business streams, where we had declines in revenues during Q2 2020, Q3 2020 and Q4 2020 compared with the respective periods in 2019. While some government-imposed precautionary measures have been relaxed in certain countries or states, more strict measures have been or may be put in place again due to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, as has occurred recently in the United Kingdom in response to the spread of a new strain of COVID-19. As a result of the newly imposed government restrictions in the United Kingdom, we had to close both of our offices in the United Kingdom and our employees have been forced to operate remotely from their homes. Employees are returning to our offices in the United Kingdom on a voluntary basis on March 29, 2021. Therefore, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may continue to affect our operation and to disrupt the marketplace in which we operate and may negatively impact our sales in fiscal year 2021 and our overall liquidity.

While the ultimate economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others, the pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions in general commercial activity and the global economy and caused financial market volatility and uncertainty in significant and unforeseen ways in the recent months. A continuation or worsening of the levels of market disruption and volatility seen in the recent past could have an adverse effect on our ability to access capital and on the market price of our common stock, and we may not be able to successfully raise needed capital. If we are unsuccessful in raising capital in the future, we may need to reduce activities, curtail or cease operations.

In addition, the continuation or worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic or an outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, resulting in an economic downturn that could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Organization

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

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

Our failure to become and remain profitable could depress the value of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our development efforts, diversify our portfolio of staffing companies, or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our common stock could also cause you to lose all or part of your investment. For more detailed discussion of the risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, please see “The recent COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected our business and may continue to adversely affect our business until the pandemic is resolved” above.

Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph in its report as of and for the year ended January 2, 2021 expressing substantial doubt in our ability to continue as a going concern based on our recurring and continuing losses from operations and our need for additional funding to continue operations and our susceptibility to economic downturns. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this going concern uncertainty and have been prepared under the assumption that we will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may be forced to liquidate our assets which would have an adverse impact on our business and developmental activities. In such a scenario, the values we receive for our assets in liquidation or dissolution could be significantly lower than the values reflected in our financial statements. The reaction of investors to the inclusion of a going concern statement by our independent registered public accounting firm and our potential inability to continue as a going concern may materially adversely affect our stock price and our ability to raise new capital or to enter into strategic alliances.

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

As of January 2, 2021, our total gross debt was approximately $55 million. Our level of debt could have significant consequences to our stockholders, including the following:

Our ability to make payments of principal and interest, or to refinance our indebtedness, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors. We had negative cash flows from operations for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2021, and we may not generate cash flow in the future sufficient to service our debt because of factors beyond our control, including but not limited to our ability to expand our operations. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations. A default on our debt obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

Further, the outstanding Second Amended and Restated 12% Senior Secured Note due September 30, 2022 (the “2020 Jackson Note”) contains certain customary financial covenants, and we have had instances of non-compliance. Management has historically been able to obtain from the Jackson Investment Group LLC (“Jackson”), waivers of any non-compliance and management expects to continue to be able to obtain necessary waivers in the event of future non-compliance; however, there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such waivers, and should Jackson refuse to provide a waiver in the future, the outstanding debt under the agreement could become due immediately. Our financing with MidCap Funding X Trust (“MidCap”) includes customary financial covenants and we have had instances of non-compliance. We have been able to obtain forbearance of any non-compliance from MidCap, and management expects to continue to be able to obtain necessary forbearance in the event of future non-compliance; however, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain such forbearance, and should MidCap refuse to provide a forbearance in the future, the outstanding debt under the agreement could become due immediately, which exceeds our current cash balance.

Our debt instruments and the Series E Certificate of Designation contain covenants that could limit our financing options and liquidity position, which would limit our ability to grow our business.

Covenants in our debt instruments and the certificate of designation (the “Series E Certificate of Designation”) for our Series E Preferred Stock (as defined below) impose operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions prohibit or limit our ability to, among other things:

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

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

The 2020 Jackson Note is secured by substantially all of our assets that are not secured by our revolving loan facility with Midcap, and the terms of the 2020 Jackson Note may restrict our current and future operations. Additionally, Jackson may be able to exert significant influence over us as our senior secured lender and the beneficial owner of a substantial percentage of our outstanding shares of common stock.

The 2020 Jackson Note contains a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and may limit our ability to engage in acts that we believe may be in our long-term best interests. The 2020 Jackson Note includes covenants limiting or restricting, among other things, our ability to:

In addition, the 2020 Jackson Note contains financial covenants including, among other things, a fixed charge coverage ratio, minimum liquidity requirements and total leverage ratio. A breach of any of these financial covenants could result in a default under the 2020 Jackson Note. If any such default occurs, Jackson may elect to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued interest and other amounts payable thereunder, to be immediately due and payable. In addition, following an event of default under the 2020 Jackson Note, Jackson will have the right to proceed against the collateral granted to it to secure the debt, which includes our available cash. If the debt under the 2020 Jackson Note was to be accelerated, we cannot assure you that our assets would be sufficient to repay in full our debt.

In addition to being our senior secured lender, as of the date of this filing, Jackson owns in excess of 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock, not including shares issuable upon the exercise of certain warrants and the conversion of Series E Preferred Stock. Jackson beneficially owns 22.2% of our common stock including shares issuable upon exercise of warrants and conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock as of the date of this filing, without giving effect to the waiver we received from Jackson on February 5, 2021. Accordingly, Jackson may be able to exert significant influence over us.

We may not be entitled to forgiveness of our recently received Paycheck Protection Program Loan, and our application for the Paycheck Protection Program Loan could in the future be determined to have been impermissible or could result in damage to our reputation.

On May 12, 2020, Monroe Staffing, our indirect subsidiary, received loan proceeds of $10,000 pursuant to the Payment Protection Program (“PPP”) under the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” administered by the Small Business Association (the “SBA”.) In addition, on May 20, 2020, Key Resources Inc. (“KRI”), Lighthouse Placement Services, LLC (“LH”) and Staffing 360 Georgia, LLC (“SG”), each of which is our wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary, received loan proceeds in the aggregate amount of $9,395 pursuant to the PPP (the “PPP Loans”.) We and our subsidiaries used the PPP Loans in accordance with the requirements of the PPP to cover certain qualified expenses, including payroll costs, rent and utility costs. The PPP Loans are evidenced by promissory notes, dated as of May 12, 2020 and May 20, 2020, as applicable, issued by Newton Federal Bank, which contain customary events of default, including, among others, those relating to breaches of obligations under the PPP Loans, including a failure to make payments, any bankruptcy or similar proceedings, and certain material effects on our ability to repay the PPP Loans. The PPP Loans mature two years following the dates of issuance, bear interest at a rate of 1.00% per annum, and are subject to the standard terms and conditions applicable to loans administered by the SBA under the CARES Act.

Beginning on the eleventh month following the issuance dates, we are required to make 14 monthly payments of principal and interest. The PPP Loans may be prepaid at any time prior to maturity. Under the CARES Act, as amended in June 2020, loan forgiveness is generally available for the sum of documented payroll costs, covered rent payments, covered mortgage interest and covered utilities during the 24-week period beginning on the dates of the first disbursement of the PPP Loans. The amount of the PPP Loans eligible to be forgiven may be reduced in certain circumstances, including as a result of certain headcount or salary reductions. In September, we applied for forgiveness of the PPP Loans in the aggregate amount equal to $19,395. As of the date of this filing, the PPP Loans have not been approved for forgiveness. The Monroe Staffing PPP loan forgiveness status was changed from pending to under review. Under review status is the last stage before forgiveness or rejection. All other PPP loans within the Company remain in pending status. We will be required to repay any portion of the outstanding principal that is not forgiven, along with accrued interest, and we cannot provide any assurance that we will be eligible for loan forgiveness or that any amount of the PPP Loans will ultimately be forgiven by the SBA.

In order to apply for the PPP Loans, we were required to certify, among other things, that the current economic uncertainty made the PPP Loans request necessary to support our ongoing operations. We made this certification in good faith after analyzing, among other things, the maintenance of our workforce, our need for additional funding to continue operations, and our ability to access alternative forms of capital in the current market environment to offset the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we believe that we have satisfied all eligibility criteria for the PPP Loans, and that our receipt of the PPP Loans is consistent with the broad objectives of the CARES Act, the certification described above did not contain any objective criteria and is subject to interpretation.

On April 23, 2020, the SBA issued guidance stating that it is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith. The lack of clarity regarding loan eligibility under the PPP has resulted in significant media coverage and controversy with respect to public companies applying for and receiving loans. If, despite our good-faith belief that given our circumstances we satisfied all eligible requirements for the PPP Loans, we are later determined to have violated any applicable laws or regulations that may apply to us in connection with the PPP Loans or it is otherwise determined that we were ineligible to receive the PPP Loans, we may be required to repay the PPP Loans in their entirety and/or be subject to additional penalties, which could also result in adverse publicity and damage to our reputation. Should we be audited or reviewed by federal or state regulatory authorities as a result of filing an application for forgiveness of the PPP Loans or otherwise, such audit or review could result in the diversion of management’s time and attention and legal and reputational costs. If we were to be audited or reviewed and receive an adverse determination or finding in such audit or review, we could be required to return the full amount of the PPP Loans. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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

As of January 2, 2021, the Company had a working capital deficiency of $20,793, an accumulated deficit of $92,179 and a net loss of $15,642 in Fiscal 2020. We will need to raise additional capital to pursue growth opportunities, improve our infrastructure, finance our operations and otherwise make investments in assets and personnel that will allow us to remain competitive. Additional capital would be used to accomplish the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We face risks associated with litigation and claims.

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

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

The U.K. left the European Union on January 31, 2020. Pursuant to the formal withdrawal arrangements agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union, effective December 31, 2020. On December 24, 2020, the United Kingdom and the European Union entered into a Trade and Cooperation Agreement. There may continue to be economic uncertainty surrounding the consequences of Brexit that could adversely impact customer confidence, resulting in customers reducing their spending budgets on our services. These and other adverse consequences such as reduced consumer spending, deterioration in economic conditions, loss of key international employees, volatility in exchange rates, and prohibitive laws and regulations could have a negative impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

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

A significant portion of our expenditures are expected to be derived or spent in British pounds. However, we report our financial condition and results of operations in U.S. dollars. As a result, fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the British pound will impact the amount of our revenues and net income. For example, if the British pound appreciates relative to the U.S. dollar, the fluctuation will result in a positive impact on the revenues that we report. However, if the British pound depreciates relative to the U.S. dollar, which was the case during 2016 and in 2020, there will be a negative impact on the revenues we report due to such fluctuation. It is possible that the impact of currency fluctuations will result in a decrease in reported consolidated sales even though we may have experienced an increase in sales transacted in the British pound. Conversely, the impact of currency fluctuations may result in an increase in reported consolidated sales despite declining sales transacted in the British pound. The exchange rate from the U.S. dollar to the British pound has fluctuated substantially in the past and may continue to do so in the future. Though we may choose to hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate changes in the future, there is no guarantee such hedging, if undertaken, will be successful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and our amended and restated bylaws (the “Bylaws”) may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our Board. Because our Board is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our stockholders to replace current members of our management team. Among others, these provisions include that:

In addition, the terms of the 2020 Jackson Note limit our ability to consolidate, merge, or transfer all or substantially all of our assets or to effect a change in control of ownership of our company. A breach of such restrictions could result in a default under the 2020 Jackson Note, under which Jackson may elect to declare all outstanding borrowings under the 2020 Jackson Note, together with accrued interest and other amounts payable thereunder, to be immediately due and payable.

Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.

Furthermore, our Certificate of Incorporation specifies that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, a state court located within the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for most legal actions involving actions brought against us by stockholders, which may include federal claims and derivative actions, except that if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction over such claims (including subject matter jurisdiction), the sole and exclusive forum for such claim shall be the federal district court for the District of Delaware. We believe these provisions may benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law and federal securities laws by chancellors and judges, as applicable, particularly experienced in resolving corporate disputes, efficient administration of cases on a more expedited schedule relative to other forums and protection against the burdens of multi-forum litigation. However, these provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any applicable action brought against us, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in the Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. Specifically, the choice of forum provision in requiring that the state courts of the State of Delaware be the exclusive forum for certain suits would (i) not be enforceable with respect to any suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act and (ii) have uncertain enforceability with respect to claims under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”.) The choice of forum provision in the Certificate of Incorporation does not have the effect of causing our stockholders to have waived our obligation to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Risks Relating to our Common Stock

Our common stock may be delisted from Nasdaq.

On June 3, 2020, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department notifying us that we are no longer in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) requires listed companies to maintain stockholders’ equity of at least $2,500,000. Further, as of June 9, 2020, we did not meet the alternative compliance standards relating to the market value of listed securities or net income from continuing operations.

In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we were afforded the opportunity to submit a plan to regain compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity standard. Based on our submissions, the Listing Qualifications Department granted us an extension to regain compliance with Rule 5550(b)(1) until November 30, 2020.

On December 1, 2020, we received notice that because we had not met the terms of the extension, our common stock would be subject to delisting from Nasdaq, unless we timely requested a hearing before the Panel. We timely requested a hearing before the Panel, which automatically stayed any suspension or delisting action pending the issuance of a decision by the Panel following the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the Panel. The hearing occurred on January 21, 2021. At the hearing, we provided the Panel with an update on our compliance plan and requested a further extension of time in which to regain compliance. On February 3, 2021, we received a letter from the Panel noting it has granted our request for an extension until February 28, 2021 to regain compliance with the minimum $2.5 million stockholders’ equity requirement, or the alternative compliance standards as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). On March 4, 2021 the Company received a letter extending the deadline for compliance to May 31, 2021.

Although we are taking actions intended to restore our compliance with the listing requirements, we can provide no assurance that any action taken by us will be successful. Should a delisting occur, an investor would likely find it significantly more difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations as to the value of our common stock, and our ability to raise future capital through the sale of our common stock could be severely limited. In addition, delisting could harm our ability to raise capital through alternative financing sources on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and may result in the potential loss of confidence by investors, suppliers, customers and employees and fewer business development opportunities.

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

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

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

We may reduce or suspend our dividend in the future.

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

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

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

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

General Risk Factors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our management has identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting relating to the lack of a sufficient complement of competent finance personnel to appropriately account for, review and disclose the completeness and accuracy of transactions entered into by the Company. This material weakness, if not remediated, could result in material misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. We may be unable to develop, implement and maintain appropriate internal controls over financial reporting. If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results and current and potential stockholders may lose confidence in our financial reporting.

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

A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. During the preparation of our financial statements for the year ended January 2, 2021, we and our auditors identified a material weakness (as such term is defined below) in our internal control over financial reporting. We lack a sufficient complement of competent finance personnel to appropriately account for, review, and disclose the completeness and accuracy of transactions entered into by the Company. As part of our remediation plan, we plan to hire additional employees and external consultants who have the technical skillset to improve our financial reporting; implement new policies, procedures and controls; properly review transactions recorded and classified in the financial statements; and ensure proper accounting and related disclosures for complex accounting matters when necessary both in the United States and United Kingdom.

Although we are working to remedy the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting discussed above, there can be no assurance as to when the remediation plan will be fully developed, when it will be fully implemented or the aggregate cost of implementation. Until our remediation plan is fully implemented, our management will continue to devote significant time and attention to these efforts. If we do not complete our remediation in a timely fashion, or at all, or if our remediation plan is inadequate, there will continue to be an increased risk that we will be unable to timely file future periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission and that our future consolidated financial statements could contain errors that will be undetected. Further and continued determinations that there are material weaknesses in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting relating the above items could also reduce our ability to obtain financing or could increase the cost of any financing we obtain and require additional expenditures of both money and our management’s time to comply with applicable requirements.

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

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

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

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

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

We are faced with expensive, complicated and evolving disclosure, governance and compliance laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure. In addition, as a staffing company, we are regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and often by state authorities. New or changing laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing compliance work.

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

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

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

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

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.

The Company leases 4,157 square feet of space at 641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2701, New York, NY 10022, its headquarters and principal location. The Company’s lease for this space will expire in 2022. The Company currently has a total of 16 facilities throughout the U.S. and the U.K. This includes U.K. offices in London and Redhill, England, as well as offices in the following states in the U.S.: New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

All offices are operated from leased space ranging from approximately 500 to 10,000 square feet, typically through operating leases with terms that range from six months to ten years, and thus with expirations from 2021 through 2029. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current requirements and that the Company’s leasing strategies provide us with sufficient flexibility to accommodate our business needs.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

From time to time, we may become involved in lawsuits, investigations and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business.

Whitaker v. Monroe Staffing Services, LLC & Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

On December 5, 2019, former owner of Key Resources, Inc. (“KRI”), Pamela D. Whitaker (“Whitaker,” “Plaintiff”), filed a complaint in Guilford County, North Carolina (the “North Carolina Action”) asserting claims for breach of contract and declaratory judgment against Monroe Staffing Services LLC (“Monroe”) and the Company (collectively, the “Defendants”) arising out of the alleged non-payment of certain earn-out payments and interest purportedly due under a Share Purchase Agreement pursuant to which Whitaker sold all issued and outstanding shares in her staffing agency, KRI, to Monroe in August 2018. Whitaker is seeking $4,054 in alleged damages.

Defendants removed the action to the Middle District of North Carolina on January 7, 2020, and Plaintiff moved to remand on February 4, 2020. Briefing on the motion to remand concluded on February 24, 2020. Separately, Defendants moved to dismiss the action on January 14, 2020 based on Plaintiff’s failure to state a claim, improper venue, and lack of personal jurisdiction as to defendant Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. Alternatively, Defendants sought a transfer of the action to the Southern District of New York, based on the plain language of the Share Purchase Agreement’s forum selection clause. Briefing on Defendants’ motion to dismiss concluded on February 18, 2020. On February 28, 2020, Plaintiff moved for leave to file an amended complaint. Defendants filed their opposition to the motion for leave on March 19, 2020. Plaintiff has filed a reply.

On June 29, 2020, Magistrate Judge Webster issued a Report and Recommendation on the pending motions, recommending that Defendants’ motion to dismiss be granted with regard to Defendants’ request to transfer the matter to the Southern District of New York, and denied in all other regards without prejudice to Defendants raising those arguments again in the new forum. Magistrate Judge Webster also recommended that Plaintiff’s motion to remand be denied and motion to amend be left to the discretion of the Southern District of New York.

Plaintiff filed an objection to the Report and Recommendation on July 9, 2020. Defendants responded on July 23, 2020. On February 19, 2021, the Middle District of North Carolina issued a decision that reversed the Magistrate Judge’s Order, granting Plaintiff’s motion to remand and denying Defendants’ motion to dismiss as moot. Defendants filed a Notice of Appeal to the Fourth Circuit on February 25, 2021 and their opening brief is due on April 21, 2021.

Separately, on February 26, 2020, the Company and Monroe filed an action against Whitaker in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 1:20-cv-01716) (the “New York Action”.) The New York Action concerns claims for breach of contract and fraudulent inducement arising from various misrepresentations made by Whitaker to the Company and Monroe in advance of, and included in, the share purchase agreement. The Company and Monroe are seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial but in no event less than $6 million. On April 28, 2020, Whitaker filed a motion to dismiss the New York Action on both procedural and substantive grounds. On June 11, 2020, Monroe and the Company filed their opposition to Whitaker’s motion to dismiss. On July 9, 2020 Whitaker filed reply papers in further support of the motion.

On October 13, 2020, the Court denied Whitaker’s motion to dismiss, in part, and granted the motion, in part. The Court rejected Whitaker’s procedural arguments but granted the motion on substantive grounds. However, the Court ordered that Monroe and the Company may seek leave to amend the complaint by letter application by December 1, 2020. Monroe and the Company filed a letter of motion for leave to amend and a proposed Amended Complaint on December 1, 2020. On January 5, 2021, Whitaker filed an opposition to the letter motion. On January 25, 2021, Monroe and the Company filed a reply in further support of the letter motion. On March 9, 2021, the Court granted Monroe and the Company’s motion for leave to amend, in part, and denied the motion, in part. The Court rejected Monroe and the Company’s claim for fraudulent inducement but granted the motion for leave to amend their breach of contract claim. Monroe and the Company filed their amended complaint on March 12, 2021. On April 9, 2021, Whitaker renewed her motion to dismiss on procedural grounds, requesting dismissal of the action or, in the alternative, a stay of the proceeding pending adjudication on the merits of the North Carolina Action. Monroe and the Company’s opposition to the motion to dismiss is due on April 23, 2021.

Monroe and the Company intend to pursue their claims vigorously.

As of the date of this filing, we are not aware of any other material legal proceedings to which we or any of our subsidiaries is a party or to which any of our property is subject, other than as disclosed above.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

PART II

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

Market Information

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

Holders of Common Stock

As of April 15, 2021, there were approximately 514 shareholders of record of the Company’s common stock.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Other than those sales of unregistered securities that have been disclosed by the Company in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and as described in “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under the heading “Financings,” the following are the only sales of unregistered securities: during the period December 30, 2019 through January 2, 2021 - we issued 15,000 shares of common stock, with an aggregate value of $18 to Greenridge Global, LLC in return for investor relations advisory services.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

Not required for smaller reporting companies.

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

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

Overview

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

Recent Developments

COVID-19

In December 2019, a strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, and has spread globally, resulting in government-imposed quarantines, travel restrictions and other public health safety measures in affected countries. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting worldwide economic activity, and activity in the United States and the United Kingdom where our operations are based. Much of the independent contractor work we provide to our clients is performed at the site of our clients. As a result, we are subject to the plans and approaches our clients have made to address the COVID-19 pandemic, such as whether they support remote working or if they have simply closed their facilities and furloughed employees. To the extent that our clients were to decide or are required to close their facilities, or not permit remote work when they close facilities, we would no longer generate revenue and profit from that client. In addition, in the event that our clients’ businesses suffer or close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may experience decline in our revenue or write-off of receivables from such clients. Moreover, developments such as social distancing and shelter-in-place directives have impacted our ability to deploy our staffing workforce effectively, thereby impacting contracts with customers in our commercial staffing and professional staffing business streams, where we have had declines in revenues during Q2 2020, Q3 2020 and Q4 2020 compared with the respective periods in 2019. While some government-imposed precautionary measures have been relaxed in certain countries or states, more strict measures have been or may be put in place again due to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, as has occurred recently in the United Kingdom in response to the spread of a new strain of COVID-19. As a result of the newly imposed government restrictions in the United Kingdom, we had to close both of our offices in the United Kingdom, and our employees have been forced to operate remotely from their homes. Employees are returning to our offices in the United Kingdom on a voluntary basis on March 29, 2021. Therefore, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may continue to affect our operation and to disrupt the marketplace in which we operate and may negatively impact our sales in fiscal year 2021 and our overall liquidity.

While the ultimate economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others, the pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions in general commercial activity and the global economy and caused financial market volatility and uncertainty in significant and unforeseen ways in the recent months. A continuation or worsening of the levels of market disruption and volatility seen in the recent past could have an adverse effect on our ability to access capital and on the market price of our common stock, and we may not be able to successfully raise needed capital. If we are unsuccessful in raising capital in the future, we may need to reduce activities, curtail or cease operations.

In addition, the continuation or worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic or an outbreak of other infectious diseases could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets worldwide, resulting in an economic downturn that could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Nasdaq Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Requirement

On June 3, 2020, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department notifying us that we are no longer in compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) requires listed companies to maintain stockholders’ equity of at least $2.5 million. Further, as of June 9, 2020, we did not meet the alternative compliance standards relating to the market value of listed securities or net income from continuing operations.

In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, we were afforded the opportunity to submit a plan to regain compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity standard. Based on our submissions, the Listing Qualifications Department granted us an extension to regain compliance with Rule 5550(b)(1) until November 30, 2020.

On December 1, 2020, we received notice that because we had not met the terms of the extension, our common stock would be subject to delisting from Nasdaq, unless we timely requested a hearing before a Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the “Panel”.) We timely requested a hearing before the Panel, which automatically stayed any suspension or delisting action pending the issuance of a decision by the Panel following the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the Panel. The hearing occurred on January 21, 2021. At the hearing, we provided the Panel with an update on our compliance plan and requested a further extension of time in which to regain compliance. On February 3, 2021, we received a letter from the Panel noting it has granted our request for an extension until February 28, 2021 to regain compliance with the minimum $2.5 million stockholders’ equity requirement, or the alternative compliance standards as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). On March 4, 2021 the Company received a letter extending the deadline for compliance to May 31, 2021.

Although we are taking actions intended to restore our compliance with the listing requirements, we can provide no assurance that any action taken by us will be successful. Should a delisting occur, an investor would likely find it significantly more difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations as to the value of our common stock, and our ability to raise future capital through the sale of our common stock could be severely limited. In addition, delisting could harm our ability to raise capital through alternative financing sources on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and may result in the potential loss of confidence by investors, suppliers, customers and employees and fewer business development opportunities.

December 2020 Public Offering

On December 29, 2020, we closed the sale of an aggregate of 4,816,665 shares of common stock in an underwritten public offering (the “December 2020 Public Offering”), at an offering price to the public of $0.60 per share. We received net proceeds from the December 2020 Public Offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses payable by us, of approximately $2.4 million. We used 75% of the net proceeds from such underwritten offering to redeem a portion of our outstanding Jackson Note due September 30, 2022, and 25% of the net proceeds from such underwritten offering to redeem a portion of our Series E Preferred Stock.

December 2020 Registered Direct Offering

On December 31, 2020, we closed the sale of an aggregate of 2,662,596 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering (the “December 2020 Registered Direct Offering”), at an offering price of $0.66 per share. We received net proceeds from the December 2020 Registered Direct Offering, after deducting placement agent fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by us, of approximately $1.5 million. We used 75% of the net proceeds from such registered direct offering to redeem a portion of our outstanding Jackson Note, and 25% of the net proceeds from such registered direct offering to redeem a portion of our Base Series E Preferred Stock.

February 2021 Public Offering

On February 9, 2021, we announced the pricing of a public offering of an aggregate of 21,855,280 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $0.90 per share (the “Offering”.) The Offering was made pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 initially filed on January 13, 2021, as subsequently amended and declared effective on February 9, 2021. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus forming a part of the effective registration statement.

The Offering closed on February 12, 2021. In the Offering, the Company issued 20,851,199 shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,004,081 shares of common stock, at an exercise price of $0.0001 per share (the “Pre-funded Warrants”.) The Pre-funded Warrants were sold at $0.8999 per Pre-Funded Warrant. The Pre-funded Warrants were immediately exercisable and could be exercised at any time after their original issuance until such Pre-funded Warrants were exercised in full. The Pre-funded Warrants were exercised immediately upon issuance, and 1,004,081 shares of common stock were issued on February 12, 2021.

The net proceeds to the Company from the Offering were approximately $18.1 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. While the Company’s Series E Preferred Stock is outstanding, the Company is required to use the proceeds of any sales of equity securities, including the securities offered in the Offering, exclusively to redeem any outstanding shares of the Company’s Series E Preferred Stock, subject to certain limitations. On February 12, 2021, the Company used approximately 75% of the net proceeds from the Offering to redeem a portion of the outstanding Jackson Note, which had an outstanding principal amount and accrued interest of $32,710 as of February 9, 2021, and 25% of the net proceeds from the Offering to redeem a portion of the Company’s Series E Preferred Stock. Pursuant to the Limited Consent (as defined below), upon closing of the Offering, the Company redeemed a portion of the 2020 Jackson Note with an outstanding principal amount of $13,556 and interest accrued thereon and redeemed 4,518 shares of the Base Series E Preferred Stock. Following the redemption of the Base Series E Preferred Stock, the Company has 6,172 shares of Base Series E Preferred Stock outstanding with an aggregate stated value of $6,172.

Jackson Waivers

On February 5, 2021, we entered into a Limited Consent and Waiver (the “Limited Consent”) with Jackson Investment Group, LLC (“Jackson”) whereby, among other things, Jackson agreed that we may use 75% of the proceeds from the Offering to redeem a portion of the 2020 Jackson Note, which at the time had an outstanding principal amount and accrued interest of $32,710, and 25% of the net proceeds from the Offering to redeem a portion of our Base Series E Preferred Stock, notwithstanding certain provisions of the Series E Certificate of Designation that would have required us to use all the proceeds from the Offering to redeem the Base Series E Preferred Stock. In addition, we also agreed in the Limited Consent to additional limits on our ability to incur other indebtedness, including limits on advances under our revolving loan facility with MidCap Funding [X] Trust. We also agreed that to the extent that any of our PPP Loans are forgiven after the Offering, Jackson may convert the Base Series E Preferred Stock and Series E-1 Preferred Stock that remains outstanding into a secured note that is substantially similar to the 2020 Jackson Note. On April 8, 2021, the limited waiver was extended to June 17 ,2021.

Jackson also entered into a Limited Waiver and Agreement with us on February 5, 2021, whereby Jackson agreed that it would not convert any shares of the Base Series E Preferred Stock or Series E-1 Preferred Stock into shares of our common stock or exercise any warrants to purchase shares to the extent that doing so would cause the number of our authorized shares of common stock to be less than the number of shares being offered in the Offering. Jackson also waived any event of default under the Series E Certificate of Designation and the 2020 Jackson Note that would have resulted from the Company having an insufficient number of authorized shares of common stock to honor conversions of the Base Series E Preferred Stock and the exercise of Jackson’s warrants. On April 8, 2021, the limited waiver was extended to June 17 ,2021.

Business Model, Operating History and Acquisitions

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

Clement May Acquisition

On June 28, 2018, the Company and Staffing 360 Solutions Limited (formerly known as Longbridge Recruitment 360 Limited), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into share purchase agreements (“Share Purchase Agreements”) of the share capital of Clement May Limited (“CML”.) Consideration for the acquisition of all the shares was (i) an aggregate cash payment of £1,550 ($2,047), (ii) 15,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, (iii) the assignment of certain outstanding debt owed to the CML Majority Holder to the Principal as set forth in that Share Purchase Agreement, (iv) an earn-out payment of up to £500, the amount to be calculated and paid on or around December 28, 2019 pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, and (v) deferred consideration of £350, to be paid on or around June 28, 2019, depending on the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in that Share Purchase Agreement. To finance the above transaction, the Company entered into a term loan with HSBC Bank plc.

Key Resources Inc. Acquisition

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

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

firstPRO Transaction

On September 24, 2020, we and Staffing 360 Georgia, LLC d/b/a firstPRO, our wholly-owned subsidiary (for purposes of this paragraph and the succeeding two paragraphs, the “Seller”), entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with firstPRO Recruitment, LLC (for purposes of this paragraph, the “Buyer”), pursuant to which the Seller sold to the Buyer substantially all of the Seller’s assets used in or related to the operation or conduct of its professional staffing and recruiting business in Georgia (the “Assets,” and such sale, the “firstPRO Transaction”). In addition, the Buyer agreed to assume certain liabilities related to the Assets. The purchase price in connection with the firstPRO Transaction was $3,300, of which (a) $1,220 was paid at closing (the “Initial Payment”) and (b) $2,080 was held in a separate escrow account (the “Escrow Funds”), which will be released upon receipt of the forgiveness of the Seller’s Paycheck Protection Program loan by the SBA. In the event that all or any portion of the PPP Loan is not forgiven by the SBA, all or portion of the certain funds being held in escrow will be used to repay any unforgiven portion of the PPP Loan in full. The firstPRO Transaction closed on September 24, 2020. In September, we submitted the PPP Loan forgiveness applications to the SBA. As of the date of this filing, the PPP Loan has not been approved for forgiveness, and there is no guarantee that all or portion of the PPP Loan will be forgiven.

In connection with execution of the Asset Purchase Agreement, we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into a Consent Agreement with Jackson (the “Consent”), a noteholder pursuant to that certain Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2017, as amended (the “Existing Note Purchase Agreement”). Under the terms of the Consent and the Series E Certificate of Designation, in consideration for Jackson’s consent to the firstPRO Transaction, the Initial Payment was used to redeem a portion of the Series E Preferred Stock, and the Escrow Funds, subject to the forgiveness of PPP Loan discussed above, will be used to redeem a portion of the Series E Preferred Stock. As this provision results in a contingent redemption feature, approximately $2.1 million of the Series E Preferred Stock was reclassified to mezzanine equity during the year ended January 2, 2021.

To induce the Buyer to enter into the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Seller also entered into a Transition Services Agreement with the Buyer, pursuant to which each party will provide certain transition services to minimize any disruption to the businesses of the Seller and the Buyer arising from the firstPRO Transaction.

For Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019

Revenue

Fiscal 2020 revenue decreased by 26.6% to $204,527 as compared with $278,478 for Fiscal 2019. Of that decline, $74,386 was attributable to organic revenue decline, slightly offset by $435 of favorable foreign currency translation. Within organic revenue, temporary contractor revenue declined $69,321 and permanent placement declined $5,065. The revenue decline in 2020 as compared to 2019 is the result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the sale of firstPRO in September 2020 resulted in 9 months of revenue for fiscal 2020 versus 12 months in fiscal 2019.

Revenue in Fiscal 2020 was comprised of $198,066 of temporary contractor revenue and $6,461 of permanent placement revenue, compared with $266,974 and $11,504 for Fiscal 2019, respectively.

Cost of revenue, Gross profit and gross margin

Cost of revenue includes the variable cost of labor and various non-variable costs (e.g., workers’ compensation insurance) relating to employees (temporary and permanent) as well as sub-contractors and consultants. For Fiscal 2020, cost of revenue was $169,714, a decrease of 26.3% from $230,169 in Fiscal 2019, compared with revenue decline of 26.6%.

Gross profit for Fiscal 2020 was $34,813, a decrease of 27.9% from $48,309 for Fiscal 2019, representing gross margin of 17.0% and 17.3% for each period, respectively. The decline was driven by $13,557 of organic decline and only nine months of activity for firstPRO, slightly offset by $61 of favorable foreign currency translation.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses for Fiscal 2020 were $43,593, a decrease of 8.6% from $47,686 for Fiscal 2019. The decrease in operating expenses was driven by headcount reductions, only nine months of activity for firstPRO, goodwill impairment of firstPRO, lower variable costs and savings attributable to synergies within the subsidiaries, and cost savings initiatives.

Other Expenses

Other expenses for Fiscal 2020 were $6,962, an increase of 19.0% from $5,852 in Fiscal 2019. The increase was driven by the following: $41 interest income restructuring charge in Fiscal 2020 versus $0 in Fiscal 2019; a $124 gain on sales of firstPRO in Fiscal 2020 versus a gain of $1,077 on CBS Butler earnout settlement in Fiscal 2019 and $847 gain on settlement of firstPRO deferred consideration in Fiscal 2019. These were partially offset by $584 gain in remeasuring the intercompany note in Fiscal 2020 compared with a gain of $383 in Fiscal 2019; other income of $125 in Fiscal 2020 versus $326 in Fiscal 2019; $433 lower interest expense recorded in Fiscal 2020 versus Fiscal 2019 due to the restructuring of $35 million debt in Fiscal 2020; and $298 of lower net amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs.

Non-GAAP Measures

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liquidity and Capital Resources

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

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

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

For Fiscal 2020 the Company had a working capital deficiency of $20,793, an accumulated deficit of $92,179, and a net loss of $15,642.

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

Operating activities

For Fiscal 2020, net cash used in operations of $14,256 was primarily attributable to changes in operating assets and liabilities totalling $7,800 and a net loss of $15,642, offset by non-cash adjustments of $9,186. Changes in operating assets and liabilities primarily relates to a decrease in accounts receivable of $7,314, decrease in other assets of $941, increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $1,659, decrease in other current liabilities of $2,058, and decrease in other long-term liabilities of $1,657, offset by increase in accounts payable – related party of $1,598, increase in prepaid expenses of $427, and increase in other of $424. Non-cash add backs of $9,186 primarily relates to amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of $3,275, right of use assets amortization of $1,521, amortization of debt discount and deferred financing of $559, stock-based compensation of $637, bad debt expense of $933, and write-off of goodwill of $2,969, offset by remeasurement gain on intercompany note of $584 and gain on sale of subsidiary of $124.

For Fiscal 2019, net cash used in operations of $10,840 was primarily attributable to changes in operating assets and liabilities totalling $10,230 and a net loss of $4,894, offset by non-cash adjustments of $4,284. Changes in operating assets and liabilities primarily relates to an increase in accounts receivable of $7,574, increase in other assets of $2,123, decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $1,893, decrease in other current liabilities of $94, and decrease in other long-term liabilities of $85, offset by increase in accounts payable – related party of $1,114, decrease in prepaid expenses of $367, and increase in other of $58. Non-cash add backs of $4,284 primarily relates to amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of $3,369, right of use assets amortization of $1,533, amortization of debt discount and deferred financing of $857, and stock-based compensation of $832, offset by remeasurement gain on intercompany note of $383 and gain on settlement of deferred consideration of $1,924.

Investing activities

For Fiscal 2020, net cash flows provided by investing activities was $11,697, of which $8,654 was from the collection of UK factoring facility deferred purchase price and $3,300 was attributable to proceeds from the sale of a subsidiary, partially offset by purchase of property and equipment of $257.

For Fiscal 2019, net cash flows provided by investing activities was $13,460, of which $13,970 was related to the collection of the UK factoring facility deferred purchase price, partially offset by purchase of property and equipment of $510.

Financing activities

For Fiscal 2020, net cash flows provided by financing activities totalled $11,553, of which $2,426 relates to repayments on accounts receivable financing, net, payment of third-party financing costs of $795, dividends paid to related parties of $3,333, redemption of Series E Preferred Stock of $1,920, repayment of term loans of $4,734; and financing costs – related party of $488; offset by proceeds from equity raise of $4,634, proceeds from PPP loans of $19,395 and proceeds from term loans of $1,220.

For Fiscal 2019, net cash flows used in financing activities totalled $4,389, of which $2,708 relates to repayments on accounts receivable financing, net, payment on deferred consideration for $6,230, payment of third-party financing costs of $1,154, dividends paid to related parties of $1,175, dividends paid to shareholders of $337, and repayment on HSBC loan of $650; financing costs – related party of $188; offset by proceeds from equity raise of $5,515 and proceeds from related party term loan of $2,538.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

See Note 2 in the accompanying financial statements.

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

Not required for smaller reporting companies.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Board of Directors and Shareholders

Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc.

New York, NY

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) as of January 2, 2021 and December 28, 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended January 2, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at January 2, 2021 and December 28, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended January 2, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

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

Basis for Opinion

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

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

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

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Goodwill Impairment Quantitative Assessment

At January 2, 2021, the Company’s consolidated goodwill balances was approximately $27 million, which is allocated between four reporting units. As discussed in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company tests goodwill for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit level. The Company determines the fair value of the reporting unit using a combination of an income approach and a market approach. The determination of the fair value of the reporting units requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions related to forecasts of future cash flow, discount rates and market multiples of comparable companies. These assumptions are affected by expected future market or economic conditions, including the impact of COVID-19.

We identified the goodwill impairment quantitative assessment as a critical audit matter because of the significant assumptions management makes as part of the assessment to estimate the fair value of the reporting units. The income approach requires significant management assumptions in projecting future cash flows, including, revenue growth rate and discount rates. The market approach requires significant judgment in selecting the appropriate peer companies and the valuation multiples. These assumptions are further impacted by the inherent uncertainties resulting from COVID-19 pandemic related to the timing and extent of economic and market recovery. Auditing these elements involved especially challenging auditor judgment due to the nature and extent of audit effort required to address these matters, including the involvement of professionals with specialized skill or knowledge.

The primary procedures we performed to address this critical matter included:

/s/ BDO USA LLP

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

New York, NY

April 16, 2021

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

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

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

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

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

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

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(All amounts in thousands)

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

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

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

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

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

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

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

STAFFING 360 SOLUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(All amounts in thousands)

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

NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

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

NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

These consolidated financial statements and related notes are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), expressed in U.S. dollars. All amounts are in thousands, except share and par values, unless otherwise indicated.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments including normal recurring adjustments, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in accordance with the GAAP. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Change of Year End

On February 28, 2017, the board of directors (the “Board”) approved the change of the Company’s fiscal year end from May 31 to a 52-53-week year ending on the Saturday closest to the 31^st of December. This report is for the period from December 29, 2019 to January 2, 2021, “Fiscal 2020.” The prior year’s report was for the period from December 30, 2018 to December 28, 2019, “Fiscal 2019”.

Liquidity

The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments or classifications that may result from the possible inability of the Company to continue as a going concern. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. As shown in the accompanying financial statements as of the year ended January 2, 2021, the Company has an accumulated deficit of $92,179 and a working capital deficit of $20,793. At January 2, 2021, we had total gross debt of $55,369 and $8,256 of cash on hand. We have historically met our cash needs through a combination of cash flows from operating activities, term loans, promissory notes, convertible notes, private placement offerings and sales of equity. Our cash requirements are generally for operating activities and debt repayments. Subsequent to the year ended January 2, 2021, we have continued to fund our operations and make required capital payments utilizing our available cash and, as of the date of this filing, we have approximately $1,050 in available cash.

The financial statements included in this annual report have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the recoverability of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. Significant assumptions underlie this belief, including, among other things, that there will be no material adverse developments in our business, liquidity, capital requirements and that our credit facilities with our lenders will remain available to us.

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

Going Concern

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern. Historically, the Company has funded such payments either through cash flow from operations or the raising of capital through additional debt or equity. If the Company is unable to obtain additional capital, such payments may not be made on time.

The Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), is impacting worldwide economic activity, and activity in the United States and the United Kingdom where our operations are based. The nature of work of the contractors we support mostly are on the site of our clients. As a result, we are subject to the plans and approaches of our clients to work during this period. This includes whether they support remote working when they have decided to close their facilities. To the extent that our clients have decided to or are required to close their facilities or not permit remote work when they decide to close facilities, we would no longer generate revenue and profit from that client. Developments such as social distancing and shelter-in-place directives have impacted the Company’s ability to deploy its staffing workforce effectively thereby impacting contracts with customers in the Company’s Commercial Staffing and Professional Staffing business streams where we have seen declines in revenues during Fiscal 2020. While expected to be temporary, prolonged workforce disruptions can negatively impact sales in fiscal year 2021 and the Company’s overall liquidity.

The Company’s negative working capital and liquidity position combined with the uncertainty generated by the economic reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve as of the date of this report. As such, it is uncertain as to the full magnitude that the pandemic will have on the Company’s financial condition, liquidity, and future results of operations. Management is actively monitoring the impact of the global situation on its financial condition, liquidity, operations, industry, and workforce. Given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak and the global responses to curb its spread, the Company is not able to estimate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on its results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity for fiscal year 2021.

COVID-19

The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve as of the date of this annual report. As such, it is uncertain as to the full magnitude that the pandemic will have on the Company’s financial condition, liquidity, and future results of operations. Management is actively monitoring the impact of the global situation on its financial condition, liquidity, operations, industry, and workforce. Developments such as social distancing and shelter-in-place directives have impacted the Company’s ability to generate revenues. Given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the global responses to curb its spread and to treat its impact, the Company is not able to estimate the duration of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity beyond fiscal year 2020, however the Company continues to take action to reduce the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations through various cost cutting initiatives including reductions to support personnel, temporary salary reductions, and elimination of other non-essential spend. Should the impact from the pandemic go on for an extended period of time, management has developed further plans to partially mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.” 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 SBA Paycheck Protection Program (“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.

On May 12, 2020, Monroe Staffing Services, LLC (“Monroe Staffing”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into a note (the “May 12 Note”) with Newton Federal Bank (the “Bank”), pursuant to the PPP of the CARES Act administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The principal amount of the May 12 Note is $10,000.

In accordance with the requirements of the CARES Act, the Company and Monroe Staffing (collectively, the “May 12 Note Borrowers”) intends to use the proceeds from the May 12 Note in accordance with the requirements of the PPP to cover certain qualified expenses, including payroll costs, rent and utility costs. Interest accrues on the May 12 Note at the rate of 1.00% per annum. The May 12 Note Borrowers may apply for forgiveness of the amount due under the May 12 Note, in an amount equal to the sum of qualified expenses under the PPP. The May 12 Note Borrowers intend to use the entire proceeds under the May 12 Note for such qualifying expenses.

Subject to any forgiveness under the PPP, the May 12 Note matures two years following the date of issuance of the May 12 Note and includes a period for the first six months during which time required payments of interest and principal are deferred. Beginning on the eleventh month following the date of the May 12 Note, the May 12 Note Borrowers are required to make 14 monthly payments of principal and interest. The May 12 Note may be prepaid at any time prior to maturity. The May 12 Note provides for customary events of default, including, among others, those relating to breaches of obligations under the May 12 Note, including a failure to make payments, any bankruptcy or similar proceedings involving the May 12 Note Borrowers, and certain material effects on the May 12 Note Borrowers’ ability to repay the May 12 Note. The May 12 Note Borrowers did not provide any collateral or guarantees for the May 12 Note.

On May 20, 2020, Key Resources Inc. (“KRI”), Lighthouse Placement Services, LLC (“LH”) and Staffing 360 Georgia, LLC (“SG”), each a wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, entered into the following notes, each dated May 20, 2020, with the Bank, pursuant to the PPP of the CARES Act administered by the SBA. KRI entered into a note (the “KRI Note”) for the principal amount of approximately $5,443, LH entered into a note (the “LH Note”) for the principal amount of approximately $1,890, and SG entered into a note (the “SG Note,” and, together with the KRI Note and LH Note, the “May 20 Notes”) for the principal amount of approximately $2,063. The combined total of the May 20 Notes is approximately $9,395.

In accordance with the requirements of the CARES Act, the Company, KRI, LH and SG (collectively, the “May 20 Note Borrowers”) intends to use the proceeds from the May 20 Notes in accordance with the requirements of the PPP to cover certain qualified expenses, including payroll costs, rent and utility costs. Interest accrues on each of the May 20 Notes at the rate of 1.00% per annum. The May 20 Note Borrowers may apply for forgiveness of the amount due under the May 20 Notes, in an amount equal to the sum of qualified expenses under the PPP. The May 20 Note Borrowers intend to use the entire proceeds under the May 20 Notes for such qualifying expenses.

Subject to any forgiveness under the PPP, each of the May 20 Notes mature two years following the date of issuance of the May 20 Notes and include a period for the first six months during which time required payments of interest and principal are deferred. Beginning on the eleventh month following the date of each of the May 20 Notes, the May 20 Note Borrowers are required to make 14 monthly payments of principal and interest. Based upon these payment terms the Company has recognized $6,927 of the PPP loan as a short-term obligation and $12,468 as long term. The May 20 Notes may be prepaid at any time prior to maturity. The May 20 Notes provide for customary events of default, including, among others, those relating to breaches of obligations under the May 20 Notes, including a failure to make payments, any bankruptcy or similar proceedings involving the Borrowers, and certain material effects on the Borrowers’ ability to repay the May 20 Notes. The May 20 Note Borrowers did not provide any collateral or guarantees for the May 20 Notes.

The application for these funds required the Company to certify in good faith that the current economic uncertainty made the loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Company. This certification further required the Company to take into account our current business activity and our ability to access other sources of liquidity sufficient to support ongoing operations in a manner that is not significantly detrimental to the business. The Company made this good faith assertion based upon the adverse impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on our business and the degree of uncertainty introduced to the capital markets. While the Company has made this assertion in good faith based upon all available guidance, management will continue to assess their continued qualification if and when updated guidance is released by the Treasury Department.

All or a portion of the PPP Loan may be forgiven by the SBA upon application by the Company beginning 60 days but not later than 120 days after loan approval and upon documentation of expenditures in accordance with the SBA requirements. Under the CARES Act, loan forgiveness is available for the sum of documented payroll costs, covered rent payments, covered mortgage interest and covered utilities during the eight-week period beginning on the date of loan approval. For purposes of the CARES Act, payroll costs exclude compensation of an individual employee in excess of $100, prorated annually. Not more than 40% of the forgiven amount may be for non-payroll costs. Forgiveness is reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages for employees with salaries of $100 or less annually are reduced by more than 25%. The ultimate forgiveness of the PPP loan is also predicated upon regulatory authorities concurring with management’s good faith assessment that the current economic uncertainty made the loan request necessary to support ongoing operations. If, despite the Company’s good-faith belief that given the circumstances the Company satisfied all eligibility requirements for the PPP Loan, the Company is later determined to have violated any applicable laws or regulations or it is otherwise determined that the Company was ineligible to receive the PPP Loan, the Company may be required to repay the PPP Loan in its entirety and/or be subject to additional penalties. In the event the PPP Loan, or any portion thereof, is forgiven pursuant to the PPP, the amount forgiven is applied to outstanding principal.

Effective March 27, 2020, the Company is deferring Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes under the CARES Act section 2302. Payment of these tax deferrals of $2,473 and $2,473 are delayed to December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

Acquisitions

Clement May Acquisition

On June 28, 2018, the Company and Staffing 360 Solutions Limited (formerly known as Longbridge Recruitment 360 Limited), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into share purchase agreements (“Share Purchase Agreements”) to acquire all of the share capital of Clement May Limited (“CML”.) Consideration for the acquisition of all the shares was (i) an aggregate cash payment of £1,550 ($2,047), (ii) 15,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, (iii) an earn-out payment of up to £500, the amount to be calculated and paid on or around January 2, 2021 pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, and (iv) deferred consideration of £350, to be paid on or around June 28, 2019, depending on the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in that Share Purchase Agreement. To finance the above acquisition, the Company entered into a term loan with HSBC Bank plc. The Company paid deferred consideration of £350 ($444) on June 26, 2019. The earnout payment of £500 ($656) was fully paid in December 2019.

Key Resources Inc. Acquisition

On August 27, 2018, the Company and Monroe Staffing Services, LLC (“Monroe Staffing”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a share purchase agreement with Pamela D. Whitaker (“Seller”), pursuant to which the Seller sold 100% of the common shares of Key Resources Inc. (“KRI”) to Monroe Staffing (the “KRI Transaction”.)

The KRI Transaction closed simultaneously with the signing of the share purchase agreement. The purchase price in connection with the KRI Transaction was approximately $12,163, of which (a) approximately $8,109 was paid to the Seller at closing, (b) up to approximately $2,027 is payable as earnout consideration to the Seller on August 27, 2019 and (c) up to $2,027 is payable as earnout consideration to the Seller on August 27, 2020. The payment of the earnout consideration is contingent on KRI’s achievement of certain trailing gross profit amounts.

To finance the KRI Transaction, the Company entered into an agreement with Jackson Investment Group, LLC (“Jackson”) on August 27, 2018, pursuant to which the note purchase agreement dated as of September 15, 2017 was amended to add an additional senior debt investment of approximately $8,428. On September 11, 2019, the Company entered into an amended agreement with the seller to delay the payment of the first year earnout of $2,027 until no later than February 27, 2020. For each full calendar month beyond August 27, 2019, that such payment is delayed, the Company shall pay the seller interest in the amount of $10 with the first such payment of interest due on September 30, 2019. In addition, the amended agreement was further amended to change the due date for the second year earnout payment of $2,027 from August 27, 2020, to February 27, 2020. The seller of KRI, Pamela D. Whitaker (“Whitaker”) has filed a lawsuit against the Company asserting claims for breach of contract and declaratory judgment against the Company due under a share purchase agreement and is seeking $4,054 in alleged damages. While the Company had recognized the liability for the earnout consideration of $4,054 due to Whitaker, within current liabilities as of January 2, 2021, in February 2020, the Company filed an action against Whitaker for breach of contract which more than offsets the earnout consideration recognized. The Company paid interest of $30 in Fiscal 2019 and $40 in Fiscal 2020.

Divesture of Business

On September 24, 2020, the Company and Staffing 360 Georgia, LLC d/b/a firstPRO, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Seller”), entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with firstPRO Recruitment, LLC (the “Buyer”), pursuant to which the Seller sold to the Buyer substantially all of the Seller’s assets used in or related to the operation or conduct of its professional staffing and recruiting business in Georgia (the “Assets,” and such sale, the “firstPRO Transaction”.) The Buyer is a former employee of Staffing 360 Georgia, LLC d/b/a firstPRO.

In addition, the Buyer has agreed to assume certain liabilities related to the Assets. The purchase price in connection with the firstPRO Transaction was $3,300, of which (a) $1,220 was paid at closing (the “Initial Payment”) and (b) $2,080 was held in a separate escrow account (the “Escrow Funds”), which will be released upon receipt of the forgiveness of the Company’s PPP loan by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”.) In the event that all or any portion of the PPP Loan is not forgiven by the SBA, all or portion of the Escrow Funds will be used to repay any unforgiven portion of the PPP Loan in full. The firstPRO Transaction closed on September 24, 2020. In September, the Company submitted the PPP Loan forgiveness applications to the SBA. The Monroe Staffing PPP loan forgiveness status was recently changed from pending to under review. Under review status is the last stage before forgiveness or rejection. All other PPP loans within the Company remain in pending status. As of the date of this filing, the PPP Loan has not been approved for forgiveness, and there is no guarantee that all or portion of the PPP Loan will be forgiven. As of January 2, 2021, the escrow funds of $2,080 are presented as restricted cash.

The Asset Purchase Agreement contains non-competition and non-solicitation provisions customary for agreements of this type. In addition, under the terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to indemnify the Buyer against certain liabilities, subject to certain conditions and limitations as set forth in the Asset Purchase Agreement.

In connection with execution of the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Consent Agreement (the “Consent”) with Jackson, a noteholder under the Existing Note Purchase Agreement. Under the terms of the Consent and the Certificate of Designation of the Company’s Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series E Preferred Stock”), in consideration for Jackson’s consent to the firstPRO Transaction, the Initial Payment was used to redeem 1,300 shares of the Series E Preferred Stock. The Escrow Funds of $2,080, subject to the forgiveness of the PPP Loan discussed above, will be used to redeem a portion of the Series E Preferred Stock. The $2,080 is recorded as Contingently Redeemable series E Preferred Stock.

To induce the Buyer to enter into the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company also entered into a Transition Services Agreement with the Buyer, pursuant to which each party will provide certain transition services such as payrolling through to year end 2020 to minimize any disruption to the businesses of the Seller and the Buyer arising from the firstPRO Transaction.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses in the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the accrual of costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results experienced by the Company may differ materially and adversely from its estimates. To the extent there are material differences between estimates and the actual results, future results of operations will be affected. Significant estimates for Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019 include the valuation of intangible assets, including goodwill, liabilities associated with earn-out obligations, testing long-lived assets for impairment and valuation reserves against deferred tax assets.

Revenue Recognition

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

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

The Company has primarily two main forms of revenue – temporary contractor revenue and permanent placement revenue. Temporary contractor revenue is accounted for as a single performance obligation satisfied over time because the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the Company’s performance on an hourly basis. The contracts stipulate weekly billing and the Company has elected the “as invoiced” practical expedient to recognize revenue based on the hours incurred at the contractual rate as we have the right to payment in an amount that corresponds directly with the value of performance completed to date. Permanent placement revenue is recognized on the date the candidate’s full-time employment with the customer has commenced. The customer is invoiced on the start date, and the contract stipulates payment due under varying terms, typically 30 days. The contract with the customer stipulates a guarantee period whereby the customer may be refunded if the employee is terminated within a short period of time, however this has historically been infrequent, and immaterial upon occurrence. As such, the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied upon commencement of the employment, at which point control has transferred to the customer. Revenue in Fiscal 2020 was comprised of $198,066 of temporary contractor revenue and $6,461 of permanent placement revenue, compared with $266,974 and $11,504 for Fiscal 2019, respectively. Refer to Note 14 for further details on breakdown by segments.

Taxes Collected from Customers and Remitted to Governmental Agencies

The Company records taxes on customer transactions due to governmental agencies as a receivable and a liability on the consolidated balance sheets. Sales taxes are recorded net on the consolidated statement of operations.

Advertising Costs

Costs for advertising are expensed when incurred. Advertising expenses for the Company were $1,302 and $1,365 for Fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Legal Contingencies and Expenses