ASURE SOFTWARE INC 10-Q

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This Form 10-Q contains certain statements made by management that may constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements about our financial results may include expected or projected U.S GAAP and non-U.S. GAAP financial and other operating and non-operating results. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “projects,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of “forward-looking statements” include statements we make regarding our operating performance, future results of operations and financial position, revenue growth, earnings or other projections. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions, over many of which we have no control. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the Company’s results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. The risks and uncertainties referred to above include—but are not limited to—risks associated with breaches of the Company’s security measures; risks associated with the Company’s rate of growth and anticipated revenue run rate, including impact of the current environment, interruptions to supply chains and extended shut down of businesses, political unrest, including the current issues between Russian and Ukraine, reductions in employment and an increase in business failures, specifically among our clients, the Company’s ability to convert deferred revenue and unbilled deferred revenue into revenue and cash flow, and ability to maintain continued growth of deferred revenue and unbilled deferred revenue; possible fluctuations in the Company’s financial and operating results; the expiration of major revenue streams such as Earned Retention Tax Credits; regulatory pressures on economic relief enacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that change or cause different interpretations with respect to eligibility for such programs; privacy concerns and laws and other regulations may limit the effectiveness of our applications; factors affecting the Company’s term loan; domestic and international regulatory developments, including changes to or applicability to our business of privacy and data securities laws, money transmitter laws and anti-money laundering laws; the financial and other impact of any previous and future acquisitions; the Company’s ability to continue to release, gain customer acceptance of and provide support for new and improved versions of the Company’s services; successful customer deployment and utilization of the Company’s existing and future services; technological developments; the nature of the Company’s business model; interest rates; competition; various financial aspects of the Company’s subscription model; impairment of intangible assets; restrictive debt covenants; interruptions or delays in the Company’s services or the Company’s Web hosting; access to additional capital; the Company’s ability to hire, retain and motivate employees and manage the Company’s growth; litigation and any related claims, negotiations and settlements, including with respect to intellectual property matters or industry-specific regulations; volatility and weakness in bank and capital markets; factors affecting the Company’s deferred tax assets and ability to value and utilize them; volatility and low trading volume of our common stock; collection of receivables; and general developments in the economy, financial markets, credit markets and the impact of current and future accounting pronouncements and other financial reporting standards. Further information on these and other factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included in the reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, and in other filings we make with the SEC from time to time. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Information section of the Company’s website at investor.asuresoftware.com. Asure assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. OVERVIEW Our Business The following review of Asure’s financial position as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 should be read in conjunction with our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2023. Asure’s internet website address is www.asuresoftware.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available through the investor relations page of our internet website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed, or furnished to, the SEC. Asure’s internet website and the information contained in our website or connected to our website are not incorporated into this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, however we do post information on the investor relations page of our website that we believe may be of interest to our investors. 17 Table of Contents Asure is a provider of cloud-based Human Capital Management (“HCM”) software solutions delivered as Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) for small and medium-sized businesses (“SMBs”). We offer human resources (“HR”) tools necessary to build a thriving workforce, provide the resources to stay compliant with dynamic federal, state, and local tax jurisdictions and their respective labor laws, freeing cash flows so SMBs can spend their financial capital on growing their businesses rather than administrative overhead that can impede growth. Our solutions also provide new ways for employers to connect with and to differentiate themselves with their employees in order to enhance their relationships with their talent. Asure’s HCM suite (“Asure HCM”) includes Payroll & Tax solutions, HR compliance and services, Time & Attendance software and data integrations that enable employers and their employees to enhance efficiencies and take advantage of value-added solutions, which we refer to as AsureMarketplace™. AsureMarketplace™ automates interactions between our HCM systems with third-party providers to enhance efficiency, improve accuracy and to extend the range of services offered to employers and their employees. We offer our services directly and indirectly through our network of Reseller Partners. From recruitment to retirement, our solutions help more than 100,000 SMBs across the United States. Approximately 15,000 of our clients are direct and the 85,000 remaining clients are indirect, as they have contracts with Reseller Partners who white label our solutions. We strive to be the most trusted HCM resource to SMBs. We target less densely populated U.S. metropolitan cities where fewer of our competitors have a presence. Our solutions solve three primary challenges that prevent businesses from growing: HR complexity, allocation of human and financial capital, and the ability to build great teams. We have and will continue to invest in research and development to expand our solutions. Our solutions reduce the administrative burden on employers and increases employee productivity while managing the employment lifecycle. Acquisitions On January 1, 2022, we acquired certain assets of a reseller partner, which were used to provide payroll processing services. The partner is located in the northeastern United States. The aggregate purchase price that the Company paid for these assets was $2,350, paid as follows: (i) $1,939 in cash at closing and (ii) the delivery of a promissory note in the amount of $411. The Company paid the full amount due, including interest, on this promissory note on May 1, 2023. On September 30, 2021, the Company acquired certain assets of two payroll businesses, which were used to provide payroll processing services. In connection with these acquisitions there are two outstanding promissory notes payable in the amounts of $2,223 and $4,080 as of March 31, 2023, respectively . The acquisition related to the promissory note in the amount of $4,080 also included contingent consideration for which we utilized a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the fair value of the contingent consideration as of March 31, 2023. For the quarter ended March 31, 2023, there was a measurement period adjustment to the fair value of a decrease in the contingent consideration of $69. For the three months ended March 31, 2023 the fair value of the contingent consideration was finally calculated at $587, which was added as an increase to the outstanding principal balance due on the promissory note in the second quarter of 2023. 18 Table of Contents RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands) The following table sets forth, for the fiscal periods indicated, the percentage of total revenues represented by certain items in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss): Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 2022 Revenues 100 % 100 % Gross profit 74 % 64 % Sales and marketing 22 % 20 % General and administrative 30 % 31 % Research and development 6 % 7 % Amortization of intangible assets 10 % 14 % Total operating expenses 68 % 72 % Interest expense (6) % (3) % Other income(expense), net — % — % Income (loss) from operations before income taxes — % (12) % Net income (loss) 1 % (12) % Revenue Revenues are comprised of recurring revenues, professional services, hardware, and other revenues. We expect our revenues to increase as we introduce new applications, expand our client base and renew and expand relationships with existing clients. As a percentage of total revenues, we expect our mix of recurring revenues, and professional services, hardware and other revenues to remain relatively constant. While revenue mix varies by product, recurring revenue represented over 84% of total revenue in three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to 94% in three months ended March 31, 2022. Our revenue was derived from the following sources (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, Variance 2023 2022 $ % Recurring $ 27,956 $ 23,004 $ 4,952 22 % Professional services, hardware and other 5,108 1,329 3,779 284 % Total $ 33,064 $ 24,333 $ 8,731 36 % Recurring Revenues Recurring revenues include fees for our payroll, payroll tax, tax management, time and labor management, HR compliance services, AsureMarketplace™ and other Asure solutions as well as fees charged for form filings and delivery of client payroll checks and reports. These revenues are derived from fixed amounts charged per billing period and sometimes an additional fee per employee or transaction processed. We do not require clients to enter into long-term contractual commitments for our services. Our billing period varies by client based on when each client pays its employees, which may be weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly. We also generate recurring revenue from our Reseller Partners that license our solutions. Because recurring revenues are based, in part, on fees for use of our applications and the delivery of checks and reports that are levied on a per-employee basis, our recurring revenues increase as our clients hire more employees. Recurring revenues are recognized in the period services are rendered. 19 Table of Contents Recurring revenues include revenues relating to the annual processing of payroll forms, such as Form W-2 and Form 1099, and revenues from processing unscheduled payroll runs (such as bonuses) for our clients. Because payroll forms are typically processed in the first quarter of the year and many of our clients are subject to form filing requirements mandated by the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), first quarter revenues and margins are generally higher than in subsequent quarters. We anticipate our revenues will continue to exhibit this seasonal pattern related to ACA form filings for so long as the ACA (or replacement legislation) includes employer reporting requirements. In addition, we often experience increased revenues during the fourth quarter due to unscheduled payroll runs for our clients that occur before the end of the year. Therefore, we expect the seasonality of our revenue cycle to decrease to the extent clients utilize more of our non-payroll applications. This revenue line also includes interest earned on funds held for clients as well as revenues generated via fixed fee arrangements for provisioning and filing for Employee Retention Tax Credit (“ERTC”) credits. Interest earned is generated from funds we collect from clients in advance of either the applicable due date for payroll tax submissions or the applicable disbursement date for employee payment services. These collections from clients are typically disbursed from one to 30 days after receipt, with some funds being held for up to 120 days. We typically invest funds held for clients in money market funds, demand deposit accounts, commercial paper, fixed income securities and certificates of deposit until they are paid to the applicable tax or regulatory agencies or to client employees. The amount of interest we earn from the investment of client funds is also impacted by changes in interest rates. Asure also generates revenues from provisioning and filing for ERTC. Revenue generated for such activity is based on multi-year contracts with volume commitments and is recorded as recurring revenues. Recurring revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $27,956, an increase of $4,952, or 22%, from $23,004 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Recurring revenue increase is primarily due to an increase of approximately $1,874 in interest earned on funds held for clients, an increase of $1,336 in HR compliance revenue, and an increase of $1,157 in revenue from AsureMarketplace™. Professional Services, Hardware and Other Revenues Professional Services, Hardware and Other Revenues represents implementation fees, one-time consulting projects, on-premise maintenance, hardware devices to enhance our software products as well as ERTC revenues that are transactional in nature. Professional services, hardware and other revenue increased $3,779, or 284%, for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from the similar period in 2022, primarily due to growth in non-recurring ERTC revenue. Although our total customer base is widely spread across industries, our sales are concentrated in SMBs. We continue to target SMBs across industries as prospective customers. Geographically, we sell our products primarily in the United States. In addition to continuing to develop our workforce solutions and release of new software updates and enhancements, we continue to actively explore other opportunities to acquire additional products or technologies to complement our current software and services. Gross Profit and Gross Margin Consolidated gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $24,400, an increase of $8,936, or 58%, from $15,464 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Gross margin as a percentage of revenue was 74% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 as compared to 64% for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Our increase in gross margin is primarily attributable to the increase in revenue and more efficient operations resulting primarily from a decrease in salaries and benefits driven by consolidation and standardization efforts across the Company, which have reined in costs. Our cost of sales relates primarily to direct product costs, compensation for operations and related consulting expenses, hardware expenses, facilities and related expenses and the amortization of our purchased software development costs. We include intangible amortization related to developed and acquired technology within cost of sales. Sales and Marketing Expenses Sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of salaries and related expenses for sales and marketing staff, including stock-based expenses, commissions, as well as marketing programs, which include events, corporate communications and product marketing activities. 20 Table of Contents Selling and marketing expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were $7,200, an increase of $2,303, or 47%, from $4,897 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, primarily due to increased personnel costs, higher sales commissions owing to increased revenues and higher advertising expense. Selling and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue increased to 22% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from 20% for the same period in 2022. We continue to expand and increase selling costs as we focus on hiring direct sales personnel, expanding recognition of our brand, and lead generation. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries and related expenses, including stock-based expenses for finance and accounting, legal, internal audit, human resources and management information systems personnel, legal costs, professional fees, and other corporate expenses such as transaction costs for acquisitions. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were $9,956, an increase of $2,471, or 33%, from $7,485 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, primarily attributable to increased personnel, share-based compensation, and contracting costs. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 30% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from 31% for the same period in 2022. Research and Development Expenses Research and development (“R&D”) expenses consist primarily of salaries and related expenses, including stock-based expenses for employees supporting our R&D activities. R&D expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were $1,979, an increase of $158, or 9%, from $1,821 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase in R&D expense is primarily attributable to an increase in personnel costs driven by continued enhancements of our products and technologies. R&D expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 6% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from 7% for the same period in 2022. We will continue to enhance our products and technologies through expansion of our technological resources by increasing headcount and development partnerships, as well as through organic improvements and acquired intellectual property. We will continue to expand the breadth of integration between our solutions, allowing direct clients and resellers the ability to easily add and implement components across our entire solution set. We believe that our expanded investment in product, engineering, SaaS hosting, mobile and hardware technologies lay the groundwork for broader market opportunities and represents a key aspect of our competitive differentiation. Native mobile applications, common user interface, expanded web service integration and other technologies are all part of our initiatives. Our development efforts for future releases and enhancements are driven by feedback received from our existing and potential customers and by gauging market trends. We believe we have the appropriate development team to design and enhance our solution suite and integrated platform. We have also made significant investments outside of core R&D into compliance and certifications, including SOC I Type 2 and SOC II Type 2 certifications, BIPA, CCPA, and other initiatives. Amortization of Intangible Assets Amortization expense in operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $3,302, a decrease of $130, or 4%, from $3,432 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Amortization expense as a percentage of revenue decreased to 10% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from 14% for the same period in 2022, respectively. Interest Expense, Net Interest expense, net for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $1,944 compared to $820 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Interest expense, net as a percentage of revenue was 6% and 3% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, respectively. The increase in interest expense, net in the current period is primarily due to our credit facility with Structural Capital Investments II LP signed in the third quarter of 2021 as discussed in Note 6 - Notes Payable. 21 Table of Contents Other Income, Net Other income, net for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $83 compared to $4 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Other income, net as a percentage of revenue was negligible for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2023, the amounts in other income, net primarily consisted of contingent liability adjustments. Income Taxes For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, we recorded an income tax benefit attributable to continuing operations of $237 and expense of $30, respectively, a decrease of $267 or 890%. Net Income (Loss) We generated income of $339, or $0.02 per share, during the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to a loss of $3,017, or $0.15 per share, during the three months ended March 31, 2022. Income and loss as a percentage of total revenues was 1% and 12% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES (in thousands) March 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Cash and cash equivalents (1) $ 21,438 $ 17,010 (1) This balance excludes cash equivalents in funds held for clients Working Capital . We had working capital of $14,191 at March 31, 2023, an increase of $6,098 from working capital of $8,093 at December 31, 2022. Working capital as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 includes $4,182 and $8,461 of short-term deferred revenue, respectively. Deferred revenue is an obligation to perform future services. We expect that deferred revenue will convert to future revenue as we perform our services, but this does not represent future payments. Deferred revenue can vary based on seasonality, expiration of initial multi-year contracts and deals that are billed after implementation rather than in advance of service delivery. Operating Activities . Net cash provided by operating activities of $4,588 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily driven by non-cash adjustments to our net income of approximately $7,787, primarily due to depreciation and amortization. This was offset by changes in operating assets and liabilities, which resulted in a use of $3,538 in cash. Net cash provided by operating activities of $2,530 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was driven by non-cash adjustments to our net loss of approximately $5,967, primarily due to depreciation and amortization, offset by our net loss of $3,017. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, changes in operating assets and liabilities resulted in a use of $420 in cash. Investing Activities . Net cash used in investing activities of $6,647 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 is primarily due to purchases of available-for-sale securities and maturities of $10,189, offset by proceeds from sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities of $5,426. Net cash used in investing activities of $6,719 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 is primarily due to purchases of available-for-sale securities and maturities of $4,504. Financing Activities . Net cash provided by financing activities was $21,128 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which primarily consisted of a net increase in client fund obligations of $19,372. Net cash provided by financing activities was $21,296 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which consisted solely of a net increase in client fund obligations of $21,296. Sources of Liquidity . As of March 31, 2023, the Company’s principal sources of liquidity consisted of approximately $21,438 of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, together with cash generated from operations of our business over the next twelve months. We cannot assure that we can grow our cash balances or limit our cash consumption and thus maintain sufficient cash balances for our planned operations or future acquisitions; however we do believe that we have sufficient liquidity to support our business operations for at least the next twelve months. Future business demands may lead to cash utilization at levels greater than recently experienced. We may need to raise additional capital in the future in order to grow our existing software operations and to seek additional strategic acquisitions in the near future. Further, we cannot assure that we will be able to raise additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all. 22 Table of Contents CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES We have prepared our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and included the accounts of our wholly owned subsidiaries. We have eliminated all significant intercompany transactions and balances in the consolidation. Preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of the assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at fiscal year-end and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the fiscal year. The more significant estimates made by management include the valuation allowance for our gross deferred tax asset, the determination of the fair value of our long-lived assets. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the given circumstances. These estimates could be materially different under different conditions and assumptions. Additionally, the actual amounts could differ from the estimates made. Management periodically evaluates estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements for continued reasonableness. We prospectively apply appropriate adjustments, if any, to our estimates based upon our periodic evaluation. For a description of our critical accounting policies, see Management’s Discussion and Analysis in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK There have been no material changes to our exposure from market risks from those disclosed in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K. 23 Table of Contents