SCOR Form: IV. Instructions as to Specific Captions and Questions
Description
This article is from the Investing Articles: Public Offerings: IPO and DPO series.
SCOR Form: IV. Instructions as to Specific Captions and Questions
BE VERY CAREFUL AND PRECISE IN ANSWERING ALL QUESTIONS. GIVE FULL AND COMPLETE ANSWERS SO THAT THEY ARE NOT MISLEADING UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVED. DO NOT DISCUSS ANY FUTURE PERFORMANCE OR OTHER ANTICIPATED EVENT UNLESS YOU HAVE A REASONABLE BASIS TO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL ACTUALLY OCCUR WITHIN THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE. IF ANY ANSWER REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION IS MATERIALLY INACCURATE, INCOMPLETE OR MISLEADING, THE COMPANY, ITS MANAGEMENT AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS MAY HAVE LIABILITY TO INVESTORS. THE SELLING AGENTS SHOULD EXERCISE APPROPRIATE DILIGENCE TO DETERMINE THAT NO SUCH INACCURACY OR INCOMPLETENESS HAS OCCURRED, OR THEY ALSO MAY BE LIABLE.
A. Cover Page. The Cover Page of the Disclosure Document is a summary of certain essential information and should be kept on one page if at all possible. For purposes of characterizing the Company on the cover page, the term "development stage" has the same meaning as that set forth in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 7 (June 1, 1975).
B. Risk Factors. The Company should avoid generalized statements and include only those factors which are unique to the Company. No specific number of risk factors is required to be identified. If more than 16 significant risk factors exist, add additional lines and number as appropriate. Risk factors may be due to such matters as cash flow and liquidity problems, inexperience of management in managing a business in the particular industry, dependence of the Company on an unproven product, absence of an existing market for the product (even though management may believe a need exists), absence of an operating history of the Company, absence of profitable operations in recent periods, an erratic financial history, the financial position of the Company, the nature of the business in which the Company is engaged or proposes to engage, conflicts of interest with management, arbitrary establishment of offering price, reliance on the efforts of a single individual, or absence of a trading market if a trading market is not expected to develop. Cross references should be made to the Questions where details of the risks are described.
C. Business and Properties. The inquiries under Business and Properties elicit information concerning the nature of the business of the Company and its properties. Make clear what aspects of the business are presently in operation and what aspects are planned to be in operation in the future. The description of principal properties should provide information which will reasonably inform investors as to the suitability, adequacy, productive capacity and extent of utilization of the facilities used in the enterprise. Detailed descriptions of the physical characteristics of the individual properties or legal descriptions by metes and bounds are not required and should not be given.
As to Question 4, if more than five events or milestones exist, add additional lines as necessary. A "milestone" is a significant point in the Company's development or an obstacle which the company must overcome in order to become profitable.
D. Offering Price Factors. Financial information in response to Questions 5, 6 and 7 should be consistent with the Financial Statements. Earnings per share for purposes of Question 5 should be calculated by dividing earnings for the last fiscal year by the weighted average of outstanding shares during that year. No calculations should be shown for periods of less than one year or if earnings are negative or nominal. For purposes of Question 8, the "offering price" of any options, warrants or rights or convertible securities in the offering is the respective exercise or conversion price.
E. Use of Proceeds. Use of net proceeds should be stated with a high degree of specificity. Suggested (but not mandatory) categories are: leases, rent, utilities, payroll (by position or type), purchase or lease of specific items of equipment or inventory, payment of notes, accounts payable, etc., marketing or advertising costs, taxes, consulting fees, permits, professional fees, insurance and supplies. Categories will vary depending on the Company's plans. Use of footnotes or other explanation is recommended where appropriate. Footnotes should be used to indicate those items of offering expenses that are estimates. Set forth in separate categories all payments which will be made immediately to the Company's executive officers, directors and promoters, indicating by footnote that these payments will be so made to such persons. If a substantial amount is allocated to working capital, set forth separate sub-categories for use of the funds in the Company's business.
If any substantial portion of the proceeds has not been allocated for particular purposes, a statement to that effect as one of the Use of Net Proceeds categories should be included together with a statement of the amount of proceeds not so allocated and a footnote explaining how the Company expects to employ such funds not so allocated.
F. Plan of Distribution. In Question 26 if the proposed business of the Company requires a minimum amount of proceeds to commence, or to proceed with, the business in the manner proposed, there shall be established an escrow with a bank or savings and loan association or other similar depository institution acting as independent escrow agent with which shall be immediately deposited all proceeds received from investors until the minimum amount of proceeds has been raised. Any failure to deposit funds promptly into the escrow shall be grounds for enforcement proceedings against the persons involved. The date at which the funds will be returned by the escrow agent if the minimum proceeds are not raised shall not be later than one year from the date of effectiveness of the registration in this state.
G. Capitalization. Capitalization should be shown as of a date no earlier than that of the most recent Financial Statements provided pursuant to Question 46. If the Company has mandatory redeemable preferred stock, include the amount thereof in "long term debt" and so indicate by footnote to that category in the capitalization table.
H. Officers and Key Personnel of the Company. The term "Chief Executive Officer" means the officer of the Company who has been delegated final authority by the board of directors to direct all aspects of the Company's affairs. The term "Chief Operating Officer" means the officer in charge of the actual day-to-day operations of the Company's business. The term "Chief Financial Officer" means the officer having accounting skills who is primarily in charge of assuring that the Company's financial books and records are properly kept and maintained and financial statements prepared.
The term "key personnel" means persons such as vice presidents, production managers, sales managers, or research scientists and similar persons, who are not included above, but who make or are expected to make significant contributions to the business of the Company, whether as employees, independent contractors, consultants or otherwise.
I. Principal Stockholders. If shares are held by family members, through corporations or partnerships, or otherwise in a manner that would allow a person to direct or control the voting of the shares (or share in such direction or control - as, for example, a co-trustee) they should be included as being "beneficially owned." An explanation of these circumstances should be set forth in a footnote to the "Number of Shares Now Held."
J. Management Relationships, Transactions and Remuneration. For purposes of Question 39(b), a person directly or indirectly controls an entity if he is part of the group that directs or is able to direct the entity's activities or affairs. A person is presumptively a member of a control group if he is an officer, director, general partner, trustee or beneficial owner of a 10% or greater interest in the entity. In Question 40, the term "Cash" should indicate salary, bonus, consulting fees, non-accountable expense accounts and the like. The column captioned "Other" should include the value of any options or securities given, any annuity, pension or retirement benefits, bonus or profit-sharing plans, and personal benefits (club memberships, company cars, insurance benefits not generally available to employees, etc.). The nature of these benefits should be explained in a footnote to this column.
K. Financial Statements. Attach to the Disclosure Document for the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, a balance sheet as of the end of the most recent fiscal year. If the Company has been in existence for less than one fiscal year, attach a balance sheet as of the date within 135 days of the date of filing the registration statement. If the first effective date of state registration, as set forth on the Cover Page of this Disclosure Document, is within 45 days after the end of the Company's fiscal year and financial statements for the most recent fiscal year are not available, the balance sheet may be as of the end of the preceding fiscal year and there shall be included an additional balance sheet as of an interim date at least as current as the end of the Company's third fiscal quarter of the most recently completed fiscal year. Also attach, for the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and for its predecessors, statements of income and cash flows and statements of changes in stockholders' equity for the last fiscal year preceding the date of the most recent balance sheet being attached, or such shorter period as the Company (including predecessors) has been in existence. In addition, for any interim period between the latest reviewed or audited balance sheet and the date of the most recent interim balance sheet being attached, provide statements of income and cash flows. Financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. If the Company has not conducted significant operations, statements of receipts and disbursements shall be included in lieu of statements of income. Interim financial statements may be unaudited. All other financial statements shall be audited by independent certified public accountants; provided, however, that if each of the following four conditions are met, such financial statements in lieu of being audited may be reviewed by independent certified public accountants in accordance with the Accounting and Review Service Standards promulgated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: (a) the Company shall not have previously sold securities by means of an offering involving the general solicitation of prospective investors by means of advertising, mass mailings, public meetings, "cold call" telephone solicitation or any other method directed toward the public, (b) the Company has not been previously required under federal or state securities laws to provide audited financial statements in connection with any sale of its securities, (c) the aggregate amount of all previous sales of securities by the Company (exclusive of debt financings with banks and similar commercial lenders) shall not exceed $1,000,000, and (d) the amount of the present offering does not exceed $500,000.
If since the beginning of its last fiscal year the Company has acquired another business, provide a pro forma combined balance sheet as of the end of the fiscal year, and a pro forma combined statement of income as if the acquisition had occurred at the beginning of the Company's last fiscal year, if any of the following exists: (a) the investments in and advances to the acquired business by the Company and its subsidiaries' (other than the acquired business) exceeds 20% of the Company's assets on its consolidated balance sheet at the end of the Company's last fiscal year, (b) the Company's and its subsidiaries (other than the acquired business') proportionate share of the total assets (after intercompany eliminations) of the acquired business exceeds 20% of the assets on the consolidated balance sheet, or (c) the Company's and its subsidiaries' (other than the acquired business') equity in income from continuing operations before income taxes, extraordinary items and cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, of the acquired business exceeds 20% of such income of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the Company's last fiscal year.
The financial statements should reflect all stock splits (including reverse stock splits), stock dividends and recapitalizations even if they have occurred since the date of the financial statements.
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