Risks Related to the Company’s Business and Industry 

The development and commercialization of our spirits is highly competitive.

We face competition with respect to any products that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future. Our competitors include major companies worldwide. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technical and human resources than we have and superior expertise in research and development and marketing spirits and thus may be better equipped than us to develop and commercialize spirits. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel and acquiring technologies. Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Accordingly, our competitors may commercialize products more rapidly or effectively than we are able to, which would adversely affect our competitive position, the likelihood that our spirits will achieve initial market acceptance and our ability to generate meaningful additional revenues from our products.

We rely on other companies to provide raw materials and basic ingredients for our products.

We depend on these suppliers and subcontractors to meet our contractual obligations to our customers and conduct our operations. Our ability to meet our obligations to our customers may be adversely affected if suppliers or subcontractors do not provide the agreed-upon supplies or perform the agreed-upon services in compliance with customer requirements and in a timely and cost-effective manner. Likewise, the quality of our products may be adversely impacted if companies to whom we delegate manufacture of major components or subsystems for our products, or from whom we acquire such items, do not provide raw materials and/or basic ingredients which meet required specifications and perform to our and our customers’ expectations. Our suppliers may be less likely than us to be able to quickly recover from natural disasters and other events beyond their control and may be subject to additional risks such as financial problems that limit their ability to conduct their operations. The risk of these adverse effects may be greater in circumstances where we rely on only one or two subcontractors or suppliers for a particular raw material or basic ingredient.

Quality management plays an essential role in determining and meeting customer requirements, preventing defects, improving the Company’s products and services and maintaining the integrity of the data that supports the safety and efficacy of our products.

Our future success depends on our ability to maintain and continuously improve our quality management program. An inability to address a quality or safety issue in an effective and timely manner may also cause negative publicity, a loss of customer confidence in us or our current or future products, which may result in the loss of sales and difficulty in successfully launching new products. In addition, a successful claim brought against us in excess of available insurance or not covered by indemnification agreements, or any claim that results in significant adverse publicity against us, could have an adverse effect on our business and our reputation.

One of the potential risks we face in the distribution of our products is liability resulting from counterfeit or tainted products infiltrating the supply chain.

Because we source ingredients from various sources, we rely on various suppliers and their quality control measures. While we have procedures to maintain the highest quality levels in our products, we may be subject to faulty, spoiled or tainted ingredients or components in our products, which would negatively affect our products and our customers’ experience with them and could decrease customer demand for our products. In addition, if there are serious illness or injury due to our products, there can be no assurance that the insurance coverage we maintain is sufficient or will be available in adequate amounts or at a reasonable cost, or that indemnification agreements will provide us with adequate protection.

Manufacturing or design defects, unanticipated use of our products, or inadequate disclosure of risks relating to the use of the products can lead to injury or other adverse events.

These events could lead to recalls or safety alerts relating to our products (either voluntary or required by governmental authorities) and could result, in certain cases, in the removal of a product from the market. Any recall could result in significant costs as well as negative publicity that could reduce demand for our products. Personal injuries relating to the use of our products can also result in product liability claims being brought against us. In some circumstances, such adverse events could also cause delays in new product approvals. Similarly, negligence in performing our services can lead to injury or other adverse events.

We plan to implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business.

There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. We may not be successful in introducing new products and services in response to industry trends or developments in technology, or those new products may not achieve market acceptance. As a result, we could lose business, be forced to price products and services on less advantageous terms to retain or attract clients, or be subject to cost increases. As a result, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.

In general, demand for our products and services is highly correlated with general economic conditions.

A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from discretionary spending by individuals, which typically falls during times of economic instability. Declines in economic conditions in the U.S. or in other countries in which we operate may adversely impact our consolidated financial results. Because such declines in demand are difficult to predict, we or the industry may have increased excess capacity as a result. An increase in excess capacity may result in declines in prices for our products and services.

We rely on various intellectual property rights, including trademarks in order to operate our business.

Such intellectual property rights, however, may not be sufficiently broad or otherwise may not provide us a significant competitive advantage. In addition, the steps that we have taken to maintain and protect our intellectual property may not prevent it from being challenged, invalidated, circumvented or designed-around, particularly in countries where intellectual property rights are not highly developed or protected. In some circumstances, enforcement may not be available to us because an infringer has a dominant intellectual property position or for other business reasons, or countries may require compulsory licensing of our intellectual property. Our failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights that convey competitive advantage, adequately protect our intellectual property or detect or prevent circumvention or unauthorized use of such property, could adversely impact our competitive position and results of operations. We also rely on nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements with employees, consultants and other parties to protect, in part, trade secrets and other proprietary rights. There can be no assurance that these agreements will adequately protect our trade secrets and other proprietary rights and will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or that third parties will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or other proprietary rights.

As we expand our business, protecting our intellectual property will become increasingly important. The protective steps we have taken may be inadequate to deter our competitors from using our proprietary information. In order to protect or enforce our patent rights, we may be required to initiate litigation against third parties, such as infringement lawsuits. Also, these third parties may assert claims against us with or without provocation. These lawsuits could be expensive, take significant time and could divert management’s attention from other business concerns. The law relating to the scope and validity of claims in the technology field in which we operate is still evolving and, consequently, intellectual property positions in our industry are generally uncertain. We cannot assure you that we will prevail in any of these potential suits or that the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, would be commercially valuable.

We are subject to income taxes as well as non-income based taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, state and federal excise, gross-receipts tax, mixed beverage taxes, value-added, net worth, property and goods and services taxes, in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe that our tax estimates are reasonable: (i) there is no assurance that the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes will not be different from what is reflected in our income tax provisions, expense amounts for non-income based taxes and accruals and (ii) any material differences could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations in the period or periods for which determination is made.

We are not subject to Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and lack the financial controls and safeguards required of public companies.

We do not have the internal infrastructure necessary, and are not required, to complete an attestation about our financial controls that would be required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. There can be no assurance that there are no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the quality of our financial controls. We expect to incur additional expenses and diversion of management’s time if and when it becomes necessary to perform the system and process evaluation, testing and remediation required in order to comply with the management certification and auditor attestation requirements.

Changes in employment laws or regulation could harm our performance.

Various federal and state labor laws govern our relationship with our employees and affect operating costs. These laws include minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, healthcare reform and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements, union membership and sales taxes. A number of factors could adversely affect our operating results, including additional government-imposed increases in minimum wages, overtime pay, paid leaves of absence and mandated health benefits, mandated training for employees, increased tax reporting and tax payment requirements for employees who receive tips, a reduction in the number of states that allow tips to be credited toward minimum wage requirements, changing regulations from the National Labor Relations Board and increased employee litigation including claims relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The Company’s business operations may be materially adversely affected by a pandemic such as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which spread throughout other parts of the world, including the United States. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” On January 31, 2020, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the U.S. healthcare community in responding to COVID-19, and on March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” COVID-19 resulted in a widespread health crisis that adversely affected the economies and financial markets worldwide. The Company’s business could be materially and adversely affected. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company’s business will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, 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. If the disruptions posed by COVID-19 or other matters of global concern continue for an extended period of time, the Company’s operations may be materially adversely affected.

We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt the Company’s operations and could have a material adverse impact on us.

The outbreak of pandemics and epidemics could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. If a pandemic occurs in areas in which we have material operations or sales, the Company’s business activities originating from affected areas, including sales, materials, and supply chain related activities, could be adversely affected. Disruptive activities could include the temporary closure of facilities used in the Company’s supply chain processes, restrictions on the export or shipment of products necessary to run the Company’s business, business closures in impacted areas, and restrictions on the Company’s employees’ or consultants’ ability to travel and to meet with customers, vendors or other business relationships. The extent to which a pandemic or other health outbreak impacts the Company’s results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of a virus and the actions to contain it or treat its impact, among others. Pandemics can also result in social, economic, and labor instability which may adversely impact the Company’s business.

If the Company’s employees or employees of any of the Company’s vendors, suppliers or customers become ill or are quarantined and in either or both events are therefore unable to work, the Company’s operations could be subject to disruption. The extent to which a pandemic affects the Company’s results will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

We face risks relating to public health conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which could adversely affect the Company’s customers, business, and results of operations.

Our business and prospects could be materially adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or recurrences of that or any other such disease in the future. Material adverse effects from COVID-19 and similar occurrences could result in numerous known and currently unknown ways including from quarantines and lockdowns which impair the Company’s business including: marketing and sales efforts, supply chain, etc. If the Company purchases materials from suppliers in affected areas, the Company may not be able to procure such products in a timely manner. The effects of a pandemic can place travel restrictions on key personnel which could have a material impact on the business. In addition, a significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could reduce the demand for the Company’s products and impair the Company’s business prospects including as a result of being unable to raise additional capital on acceptable terms to us, if at all.

Maintaining, extending and expanding our reputation and brand image are essential to our business success.

We seek to maintain, extend, and expand our brand image through marketing investments, including advertising and consumer promotions, and product innovation. Increasing attention on marketing could adversely affect our brand image. It could also lead to stricter regulations and greater scrutiny of marketing practices. Existing or increased legal or regulatory restrictions on our advertising, consumer promotions and marketing, or our response to those restrictions, could limit our efforts to maintain, extend and expand our brands. Moreover, adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us could damage our reputation and brand image, undermine our customers’ confidence and reduce long-term demand for our products, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations.

In addition, our success in maintaining, extending, and expanding our brand image depends on our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment. We increasingly rely on social media and online dissemination of advertising campaigns. The growing use of social and digital media increases the speed and extent that information or misinformation and opinions can be shared. Negative posts or comments about us, our brands or our products on social or digital media, whether or not valid, could seriously damage our brands and reputation. If we do not establish, maintain, extend and expand our brand image, then our product sales, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Product safety and quality concerns, including concerns related to perceived quality of ingredients, could negatively affect the Company’s business.

The Company’s success depends in large part on its ability to maintain consumer confidence in the safety and quality of all its products. The Company has rigorous product safety and quality standards. However, if products taken to market are or become contaminated or adulterated, the Company may be required to conduct costly product recalls and may become subject to product liability claims and negative publicity, which would cause its business to suffer. In addition, regulatory actions, activities by nongovernmental organizations and public debate and concerns about perceived negative safety and quality consequences of certain ingredients in our products may erode consumers’ confidence in the safety and quality issues, whether or not justified, and could result in additional governmental regulations concerning the marketing and labeling of the Company’s products, negative publicity, or actual or threatened legal actions, all of which could damage the reputation of the Company’s products and may reduce demand for the Company’s products.

We must correctly predict, identify, and interpret changes in consumer preferences and demand, offer new products to meet those changes, and respond to competitive innovation.

Consumer preferences our products change continually. Our success depends on our ability to predict, identify, and interpret the tastes and habits of consumers and to offer products that appeal to consumer preferences. If we do not offer products that appeal to consumers, our sales and market share will decrease. We must distinguish between short-term fads, mid-term trends, and long-term changes in consumer preferences. If we do not accurately predict which shifts in consumer preferences will be long-term, or if we fail to introduce new and improved products to satisfy those preferences, our sales could decline. In addition, because of our varied customer base, we must offer an array of products that satisfy the broad spectrum of consumer preferences. If we fail to expand our product offerings successfully across product categories, or if we do not rapidly develop products in faster growing and more profitable categories, demand for our products could decrease, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and results of operations.

In addition, achieving growth depends on our successful development, introduction, and marketing of innovative new products and line extensions. Successful innovation depends on our ability to correctly anticipate customer and consumer acceptance, to obtain, protect and maintain necessary intellectual property rights, and to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of others and failure to do so could compromise our competitive position and adversely impact our business.

We are vulnerable to fluctuations in the price and supply of ingredients, packaging materials, and freight.

The prices of the ingredients, packaging materials and freight are subject to fluctuations in price attributable to, among other things, changes in supply and demand of raw materials, crops or other commodities, fuel prices and government-sponsored agricultural programs. The sales prices to our customers are a delivered price. Therefore, changes in our input costs could impact our gross margins. Our ability to pass along higher costs through price increases to our customers is dependent upon competitive conditions and pricing methodologies employed in the various markets in which we compete. To the extent competitors do not also increase their prices, customers and consumers may choose to purchase competing products or may shift purchases to lower-priced private label or other value offerings which may adversely affect our results of operations.

We use significant quantities of raw materials and other agricultural products as well as glass, plastic, corrugated carboard and plastic packaging materials provided by third-party suppliers. We buy from a variety of producers and manufacturers, and alternate sources of supply are generally available. However, the supply and price are subject to market conditions and are influenced by other factors beyond our control. We do not have long-term contracts with many of our suppliers, and, as a result, they could increase prices or fail to deliver. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could increase our costs and disrupt our operations.

Substantial disruption to production at our manufacturing and distribution facilities could occur.

A disruption in production at our manufacturing facility could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, a disruption could occur at the facilities of our suppliers or distributors. The disruption could occur for many reasons, including fire, natural disasters, weather, water scarcity, manufacturing problems, disease, strikes, transportation or supply interruption, government regulation, cybersecurity attacks or terrorism. Alternative facilities with sufficient capacity or capabilities may not be available, may cost substantially more or may take a significant time to start production, each of which could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Future product recalls or safety concerns could adversely impact our results of operations.

We may be required to recall certain of our products should they be mislabeled, contaminated, spoiled, tampered with or damaged. We also may become involved in lawsuits and legal proceedings if it is alleged that the consumption or use of any of our products causes injury, illness or death. A product recall or an adverse result in any such litigation could have an adverse effect on our business, depending on the costs of the recall, the destruction of product inventory, competitive reaction and consumer attitudes. Even if a product liability or consumer fraud claim is unsuccessful or without merit, the negative publicity surrounding such assertions regarding our products could adversely affect our reputation and brand image. We also could be adversely affected if consumers in our principal markets lose confidence in the safety and quality of our products.

The consolidation of retail customers could adversely affect us.

Retail customers, such as supermarkets, warehouse clubs, and food distributors in our major markets, may consolidate, resulting in fewer customers for our business. Consolidation also produces larger retail customers that may seek to leverage their position to improve their profitability by demanding improved efficiency, lower pricing, increased promotional programs, or specifically tailored products. In addition, larger retailers have the scale to develop supply chains that permit them to operate with reduced inventories or to develop and market their own white-label brands. Retail consolidation and increasing retailer power could adversely affect our product sales and results of operations. Retail consolidation also increases the risk that adverse changes in our customers’ business operations or financial performance will have a corresponding material and adverse effect on us. For example, if our customers cannot access sufficient funds or financing, then they may delay, decrease, or cancel purchases of our products, or delay or fail to pay us for previous purchases, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales, financial condition, and operating results.

Evolving tax, environmental, food quality and safety or other regulations or failure to comply with existing licensing, labeling, trade, food quality and safety and other regulations and laws could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition.

Our activities or products, both in and outside of the United States, are subject to regulation by various federal, state, provincial and local laws, regulations and government agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Labor, the U.S. Tax and Trade Bureau, various state alcohol beverage control boards, as well as similar and other authorities outside of the United States, International Accords and Treaties and others, including voluntary regulation by other bodies. These laws and regulations and interpretations thereof may change, sometimes dramatically, as a result of a variety of factors, including political, economic or social events. The manufacturing, marketing and distribution of food products are subject to governmental regulation that control such matters as food quality and safety, ingredients, advertising, product or production requirements, labeling, import or export of our products or ingredients, relations with distributors and retailers, health and safety, the environment, and restrictions on the use of government programs to purchase certain of our products. We are also regulated with respect to matters such as licensing requirements, trade and pricing practices, tax, anticorruption standards, advertising and claims, and environmental matters. The need to comply with new, evolving or revised tax, environmental, food quality and safety, labeling or other laws or regulations, or new, or changed interpretations or enforcement of existing laws or regulations, may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Further, if we are found to be out of compliance with applicable laws and regulations in these areas, we could be subject to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, termination of necessary licenses or permits, or recalls, as well as potential criminal sanctions, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business. Even if regulatory review does not result in these types of determinations, it could potentially create negative publicity or perceptions which could harm our business or reputation.

Significant additional labeling or warning requirements may inhibit sales of affected products.

Various jurisdictions may seek to adopt significant additional product labeling or warning requirements relating to the content or perceived adverse health consequences of our product(s). If these types of requirements become applicable to our product(s) under current or future environmental or health laws or regulations, they may inhibit sales of such products.

We are dependent on third-party suppliers for key raw materials, packaging materials and production inputs, and our use of natural ingredients exposes us to weather and crop reliability.

The process of distilling utilizes a large amount of water.

Parts of the country have been experiencing a severe drought for the last several years. While there are currently no restrictions on our use of water based on the drought, we cannot predict whether such restrictions may be put in place in the future. In addition, we source a substantial portion of our grains from Texas. This region has faced drought conditions in the past, and any future droughts could materially and adversely affect our ability to source grains in the future.

Growth rates higher than planned or the introduction of new products requiring special ingredients could create higher demand for ingredients greater than we can source.

Although we believe that there are alternative sources available for our key ingredients, there can be no assurance that we would be able to acquire such ingredients from substitute sources on a timely or cost effective basis in the event that current suppliers could not adequately fulfill orders, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We source certain packaging materials, such as bottles, labels, tops and other shipping materials from a number of third-party suppliers and, in some cases, single-source suppliers.

Although we believe that alternative suppliers are available, the loss of any of our packaging material suppliers could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Our inability to preserve the current economics of these agreements could expose us to significant cost increases in future years.

Our spirits business uses oak barrels to age certain spirits we produce.

We compete with wine producers and other spirits producers for such oak barrels, which may be in limited supply. If we are unable to purchase a sufficient number of oak barrels at commercially reasonable prices, it could have a material adverse effect on the growth prospects, financial condition and results of operations of our business.

We are heavily dependent on our distributors.

In the United States, where substantially most of our spirits are sold, we sell spirits to independent distributors for distribution to on-premise locations such as bars, restaurants and sports venues, and for distribution to off-premise retail locations such as grocery and specialty stores. Although we currently have a large network of wholesale distributors, sustained growth will require us to maintain such relationships and enter into arrangements with additional distributors in new markets. No assurance can be given that we will be able to maintain our current distribution network or secure additional distributors on terms favorable to us, or at all.

Our distributors often represent competing specialty spirits brands, as well as national spirits brands, and are to varying degrees influenced by their continued business relationships with other brewers and distillers. Our independent distributors may be influenced by a large distiller or brand, particularly if they rely on that distiller for a significant portion of their sales, which many distributors do. In addition, certain of our distributors cover a substantial network of certain on-premise retailers. While we believe that the relationships between us and our distributors are generally good, some of these relationships are relatively new and untested and there can be no assurance that any or all of our distributors will continue to effectively market and distribute our products. The loss of any distributor or the inability to replace a poorly performing distributor in a timely fashion could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Most of our distribution relationships are governed by state laws that in certain respects may supersede the terms of any contractual relationships.

Under most of these state laws, distribution agreements for spirits can only be terminated by the supplier after the supplier shows some type of "cause" (usually an uncured deficiency in the distributor’s operation) or upon payment of some sort of compensation to the distributor for the value of the distribution rights. State laws also may limit a supplier’s right to object to proposed assignments of distribution rights and/or changes in distributor ownership. A minority of states have enacted similar laws governing distillery-distributor relationships. Therefore, while we have entered into contractual relationships with some of our distributors, state law in various jurisdictions may limit our exercising our contractual termination and enforcement rights. Additionally, our distribution relationships are susceptible to changes in state legislation that could significantly alter the competitive environment for the beer distribution industry, which could adversely affect the financial stability of distributors on which we rely.

We are subject to governmental regulations affecting our distillery and tasting room.

Federal, state and local laws and regulations govern the production and distribution of spirits, including permitting, licensing, trade practices, labeling, advertising and marketing, distributor relationships and various other matters. To operate our distillery, we must obtain and maintain numerous permits, licenses and approvals from various governmental agencies, including the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the Food and Drug Administration, state alcohol regulatory agencies and state and federal environmental agencies. A variety of federal, state and local governmental authorities also levy various taxes, license fees and other similar charges and may require bonds to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Our tasting room and kitchen are subject to alcohol beverage control regulations that generally require us to apply to a state authority for a license that must be renewed annually and may be revoked or suspended for cause at any time. These alcohol beverage control regulations relate to numerous aspects of daily operations of our tasting room and kitchen, including minimum age of patrons and employees, hours of operation, advertising, trade practices, inventory control and handling, storage and dispensing of alcohol beverages. Noncompliance with such laws and regulations may cause the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau or any particular state or jurisdiction to revoke its license or permit, restricting our ability to conduct business, assess additional taxes, interest and penalties or result in the imposition of significant fines.

The craft spirits business is seasonal in nature, and we are likely to experience fluctuations in results of operations and financial condition.

Sales of craft beer/spirits products are somewhat seasonal, with the second and third quarters historically having lower sales than the rest of the year.

The loss of our third-party distributors could impair our operations and substantially reduce our financial results.

We continually seek to expand distribution of our products by entering into distribution arrangements with regional bottlers or other direct store delivery distributors having established sales, marketing and distribution organizations. Many distributors are affiliated with and manufacture and/or distribute other beverage products. In many cases, such products compete directly with our products. The marketing efforts of our distributors are important for our success. If our brands prove to be less attractive to our existing distributors and/or if we fail to attract additional distributors and/or our distributors do not market and promote our products above the products of our competitors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our business is substantially dependent upon awareness and market acceptance of our products and brands.

Our business depends on acceptance by both our end consumers as well as our independent distributors of our brands as beverage brands that have the potential to provide incremental sales growth rather than reduce distributors’ existing beverage sales. We believe that the success of our product name brands will also be substantially dependent upon acceptance of our product name brands. Accordingly, any failure of our brands to maintain or increase acceptance or market penetration would likely have a material adverse affect on our revenues and financial results.

Reductions in sales of our products will have an adverse effect on our profitability and ability to generate cash to fund our business plan.

The following factors, among others, could affect continued market acceptance and profitability of our products:

• the introduction of competitive products;

• changes in consumer preferences among spirits;

• changes in consumer eating and snacking habits, including trends away from certain categories, including major allergen-free, gluten-free and non-GMO products;

• changes in awareness of the social effects of farming and food production;

• changes in consumer perception about trendy spirit products;

• changes in consumer perception regarding the healthfulness of our products;

• the level and effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts;

• any unfavorable publicity regarding spirits or similar products;

• any unfavorable publicity regarding our brand;

• litigation or threats of litigation with respect to our products;

• the price of our products relative to other competing products;

• price increases resulting from rising commodity costs;

• any changes in government policies and practices related to our products, labeling and markets;

• regulatory developments affecting the manufacturing, labeling, marketing or use of our products; and

• new science or research that disputes the healthfulness of our products

Adverse developments with respect to the sale of our products would significantly reduce our net sales and profitability and have a material adverse effect on our ability to maintain profitability and achieve our business plan.

We currently depend exclusively on one location to manufacture all of our products.

The loss of our manufacturing plant/distillery to fulfill our orders would adversely affect our ability to make timely deliveries of our product and would have a material adverse effect on our business.

Ingredient and packaging costs are volatile and may rise significantly, which may negatively impact the profitability of our business.

We purchase large quantities of raw materials, including ingredients such as grain, yeasts and enzymes. In addition, we purchase and use significant quantities of carboard, tape and labels to package our products. In recent periods, the prices of grain have been priced above their respective averages and we have realized some negative effects from these high prices in the form of higher cost of goods sold and resulting lower gross profit margins. Costs of ingredients and packaging are volatile and can fluctuate due to conditions that are difficult to predict, including global competition for resources, weather conditions, natural or man-made disasters, consumer demand and changes in governmental trade and agricultural programs. As such, any material upward movement in raw materials pricing could negatively impact our margins, if we are not able to pass these costs on to our customers, or sales if we are forced to increase our prices, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Certain of our raw material contracts have minimum purchase commitments that could require us to continue to purchase raw materials even if our sales have declined.

We are contractually obligated to purchase a certain amount of raw materials from our suppliers even if we do not have the customer demand to sustain such purchases. The purchase of raw materials, which we are not able to convert into finished products and sell to our customers would have a negative effect on our business and results of operations.

Our future business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected by reduced availability of our core ingredients.

Our ability to ensure a continuing supply of our core ingredients at competitive prices depends on many factors beyond our control, such as the number and size of farms that grow crops, poor harvests, changes in national and world economic conditions and our ability to forecast our ingredient requirements. The grains used in our products are vulnerable to adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, frosts, earthquakes, hurricanes and pestilences. Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters can lower crop yields and reduce crop size and quality, which in turn could reduce the available supply of our core ingredients. If supplies of our core ingredients are reduced or there is greater demand for such ingredients, from us and others, we may not be able to obtain sufficient supply on favorable terms, or at all, which could impact our ability to supply products to distributors and retailers.

Failure by our transportation providers to deliver our products on time or at all could result in lost sales.

We currently rely upon third-party transportation providers for a significant portion of our product shipments. Our utilization of delivery services for shipments is subject to risks, including increases in fuel prices, which would increase our shipping costs, and employee strikes and inclement weather, which may impact the ability of providers to provide delivery services that adequately meet our shipping needs. We may, from time to time, change third-party transportation providers, and we could therefore face logistical difficulties that could adversely affect deliveries. We may not be able to obtain terms as favorable as those we receive from the third-party transportation providers that we currently use or may incur additional costs, which in turn would increase our costs and thereby adversely affect our operating results.

If our brand or reputation is damaged, the attractive characteristics that we offer retailers may diminish, which could diminish the value of our business.

We are currently an attractive brand for our customers because our products are high quality and generate a high level of retail sales at a premium margin relative to their shelf space. This is due to both our premium price point and our sales velocity. If our brand or reputation is damaged for any reason, consumers may no longer be willing to pay a premium price for our products and we may no longer be able to generate a high sales velocity at our then-current prices. If we no longer offer these characteristics, retailers may decrease their orders of our products and downgrade the in-store placement of our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Changes in raw material and manufacturing input prices could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Because pricing for the majority of our cellulose specialty fibers customers is set annually, we typically have very limited ability to pass along fluctuations in costs to customers after pricing has been established. Raw material costs and energy, such as wood, chemicals, oil and natural gas are a significant operating expense. The cost of raw materials and energy can be volatile and are susceptible to rapid and substantial increases due to factors beyond our control, such as changing economic conditions, political unrest, instability in energy-producing nations, and supply and demand considerations. For example, glass, a key manufacturing input, has historically had significant price volatility. Price increases and general volatility could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Failure to develop new products and production technologies or to implement productivity and cost reduction initiatives successfully may harm our competitive position.

We depend significantly on the development of commercially viable new products, product grades and applications, as well as process technologies, free of any legal restrictions. If we are unsuccessful in developing new products, applications and production processes in the future, our competitive position and results of operations may be negatively affected. However, as we invest in new technology, we face the risk of unanticipated operational or commercialization difficulties, including an inability to obtain necessary permits or governmental approvals, the development of competing technologies, failure of facilities or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, construction delays, cost over-runs, the unavailability of financing, required materials or equipment and various other factors. Likewise, we have undertaken and are continuing to undertake initiatives to improve productivity and performance and to generate cost savings. These initiatives may not be completed or beneficial or the estimated cost savings from such activities may not be realized.

We may incur additional expenses and delays due to technical problems or other interruptions at our manufacturing facilities.

Disruptions in operations due to technical problems or other interruptions such as floods or fire would adversely affect the manufacturing capacity of our facilities. Such interruptions could cause delays in production and cause us to incur additional expenses such as charges for expedited deliveries for products that are delayed. Additionally, our customers have the ability to cancel purchase orders in the event of any delays in production and may decrease future orders if delays are persistent. Additionally, to the extent that such disruptions do not result from damage to our physical property, these may not be covered by our business interruption insurance. Any such disruptions may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The potential impact of failing to deliver products on time could increase the cost of our products.

In most instances, we guarantee that we will deliver a product by a scheduled date. If we subsequently fail to deliver the product as scheduled, we may be held responsible for cost impacts and/or other damages resulting from any delay. To the extent that these failures to deliver occur, the total damages for which we could be liable could significantly increase the cost of the products; as such, we could experience reduced profits or, in some cases, a loss for that contract. Additionally, failure to deliver products on time could result in damage to customer relationships, the potential loss of customers, and reputational damage which could impair our ability to attract new customers.

Many of our customers do not commit to long-term production schedules, which makes it difficult for us to schedule production accurately and achieve maximum efficiency of our manufacturing capacity.

Many of our customers do not commit to firm production schedules and we continue to experience reduced lead-times in customer orders. Additionally, customers may change production quantities or delay production with little lead-time or advance notice. Therefore, we rely on and plan our production and inventory levels based on our customers’ advance orders, commitments or forecasts, as well as our internal assessments and forecasts of customer demand. The variations in volume and timing of sales make it difficult to schedule production and optimize utilization of manufacturing capacity. This uncertainty may require us to increase staffing and incur other expenses in order to meet an unexpected increase in customer demand, potentially placing a significant burden on our resources. Additionally, an inability to respond to such increases may cause customer dissatisfaction, which may negatively affect our customers’ relationships.

Further, in order to secure sufficient production scale, we may make capital investments in advance of anticipated customer demand. Such investments may lead to low utilization levels if customer demand forecasts change and we are unable to utilize the additional capacity. Additionally, we order materials and components based on customer forecasts and orders and suppliers may require us to purchase materials and components in minimum quantities that exceed customer requirements, which may have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Such order fluctuations and deferrals may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

There are general economic risks associated with the restaurant and bar/tavern industry.

Tasting Rooms are a very cyclical business. Economic recessions can lead to fewer customers as consumers become more cost conscientious and curb spending amid unemployment and other economic uncertainty. Increasing costs for energy can prevent customers from traveling to our location, increase the price of packaging of products that we purchase, increase shipping and delivery charges for our ingredients and supplies and increase the cost of heating and refrigeration.

Inflationary pressure, particularly on food costs, labor costs (especially associated with increases in the minimum wage) and health care benefits, can negatively affect the operation of the business. Shortages of qualified labor are sometimes experienced in certain local economies. All of these events could have a negative effect on our business.

Our inability to successfully and sufficiently raise menu prices could result in a decline in profitability.

We utilize menu price increases to help offset cost increases, including increased cost for commodities, minimum wages, employee benefits, insurance arrangements, construction, utilities and other key operating costs. If its selection and amount of menu price increases are not accepted by consumers and reduce guest traffic, or are insufficient to counter increased costs, our financial results could be harmed.

The sale of alcoholic beverages at our tasting room subjects us to additional regulations and potential liability.

Because we sell alcoholic beverages, we are required to comply with the alcohol licensing requirements of the federal government, state and municipal authorities where our restaurant is located. Alcoholic beverage control regulations require applications to state authorities and, in certain locations, county and municipal authorities for a license and permit to sell alcoholic beverages on the premises and to provide service for extended hours and on Sundays. Typically, the licenses are renewed annually and may be revoked or suspended for cause at any time. Alcoholic beverage control regulations relate to numerous aspects of the daily operations of restaurants and bars, including minimum age of guests and employees, hours of operation, advertising, wholesale purchasing, inventory control and handling, storage and dispensing of alcoholic beverages. If we fail to comply with federal, state or local regulations, our licenses may be revoked, and we may be forced to terminate the sale of alcoholic beverages. Further, growing movements to change laws relating to alcohol may result in a decline in alcohol consumption, all of which may negatively impact operations or result in the loss of liquor licenses.

In certain states we are subject to "dram shop" statutes.

Dram shop statutes generally allow a person injured by an intoxicated person the right to recover damages from an establishment that wrongfully served alcoholic beverages to the intoxicated person. Some dram shop litigation against restaurant companies has resulted in significant judgments, including punitive damages.

Damage to our reputation could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our reputation and the quality of our brand are critical to our business and success in existing markets, and will be critical to our success as we enter new markets. Any incident that erodes consumer loyalty for our brand could significantly reduce its value and damage our business.

We may be adversely affected by any negative publicity, regardless of its accuracy, including with respect to:

▪ food safety concerns, including food tampering or contamination;

▪ food-borne illness incidents;

▪ the safety of the food commodities we use, particularly beef;

▪ guest injury;

▪ security breaches of confidential guest or employee information;

▪ employment-related claims relating to alleged employment discrimination, wage and hour violations, labor standards or health care and benefit issues; or

▪ government or industry findings concerning our restaurant, restaurants operated by other food service providers, or others across the food industry supply chain.

Also, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms and similar devices, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications that provide individuals with access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The availability of information on social media platforms is virtually immediate as is its impact. Information posted may be adverse to our interests or may be inaccurate, each of which may harm our performance, prospects or business. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction.

We are dependent on frequent deliveries of food products that meet our specifications.

Shortages or interruptions in the supply of food products caused by problems in production or distribution, inclement weather, unanticipated demand or other conditions could adversely affect the availability, quality and cost of ingredients, which would adversely affect our operating results. 

Security breaches of confidential guest information, in connection with our electronic processing of credit and debit card transactions, or confidential employee information may adversely affect our business.

Our business requires the collection, transmission and retention of large volumes of guest and employee data, including credit and debit card numbers and other personally identifiable information, in various information technology systems that we maintain and in those maintained by third parties with whom we contract to provide services. The integrity and protection of that guest and employee data is critical to us. The information, security and privacy requirements imposed by governmental regulation are increasingly demanding. Our systems may not be able to satisfy these changing requirements and guest and employee expectations, or may require significant additional investments or time in order to do so. A breach in the security of our information technology systems or those of our service providers could lead to an interruption in the operation of our systems, resulting in operational inefficiencies and a loss of profits. Additionally, a significant theft, loss or misappropriation of, or access to, guests’ or other proprietary data or other breach of our information technology systems could result in fines, legal claims or proceedings.

We are subject to risks associated with leasing property subject to long-term non-cancelable leases.

We do not own any real property and our tasting room is located on a leased premises. Our lease has a term of 2 years and provides for two five-year renewal options as well as for rent escalations. We generally cannot cancel the lease. If we close the tasting room, we may still be obligated to perform our monetary obligations under the lease. We depend on cash flows from operations to pay our lease expenses and to fulfill our other cash needs. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities we may not be able to service our lease expenses.

Increased food commodity and energy costs could decrease our operating profit margins.

Our profitability depends on our ability to anticipate and react to changes in the price and availability of food commodities, including among other things beef, poultry, grains, dairy and produce. Prices may be affected due to market changes, shortages or interruptions in supply due to weather, disease or other conditions beyond our control, or other reasons. Other events could increase commodity prices or cause shortages that could affect the cost and quality of the items we buy or require us to further raise prices or limit our menu options. These events could impact our pricing and negatively affect our sales and profit margins. There can be no assurance that future cost increases can be offset by increased menu prices or that increased menu prices will be accepted by our guests.

We are subject to many federal, state and local laws with which compliance is both costly and complex.

The restaurant industry is subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations, including the comprehensive health care reform legislation and those relating to the preparation and sale of food. Such laws and regulations are subject to change from time to time. The failure to comply with these laws and regulations could adversely affect our operating results. Typically, licenses, permits and approvals under such laws and regulations must be renewed annually and may be revoked, suspended or denied renewal for cause at any time if governmental authorities determine that our conduct violates applicable regulations. Difficulties or failure to maintain or obtain the required licenses, permits and approvals could adversely affect our business.

The ADA prohibits discrimination in employment and public accommodations on the basis of disability.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, we could be required to modify our restaurant to provide service to, or make reasonable accommodations for the employment of, disabled persons.

We are subject to the INS and must comply with federal immigration law.

Our employment practices are subject to the requirements of the Immigration and Naturalization Service relating to citizenship and residency.

We rely on licensees for the operation of our licensed restaurants, and we have limited control with respect to the operations of our licensed restaurants, which could have a negative impact on our reputation and business.

We rely on our licensees and the manner in which they operate their restaurants to develop and promote our business. Our licensees are required to operate their restaurants according to the specific guidelines we set forth that are essential to maintaining brand integrity and reputation as well as in accordance with all laws and regulations applicable to our restaurants. We cannot give assurance that there will not be differences in product and service quality, operations, marketing or profitably or that there will be adherence to all of our guidelines and applicable laws at these restaurants. Failure of these restaurants to operate effectively could have a negative impact on our reputation or our business.

Our insurance may not provide adequate levels of coverage against claims.

We believe that we maintain insurance customary for businesses of our size and type. However, there are types of losses we may incur that cannot be insured against or that we believe are not economically reasonable to insure. Such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations.

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations in that our sales are typically nominally higher during the winter months affecting the second and third quarters of the fiscal year. As a result of these factors, our financial results for any single quarter or for periods of less than a year are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.

Because our tasting room is in a single area, we are susceptible to economic and other trends and developments, including adverse weather conditions, in this area.

Our financial performance is partially dependent on our tasting room located in Fort Worth, Texas. As a result, adverse economic conditions in this area could have a material adverse effect on our overall results of operations. In addition, local strikes, terrorist attacks, increases in energy prices, inclement weather or natural or man-made disasters could have a negative effect on our business. For example, we experienced a temporary restaurant closure due to Covid 19. Temporary or prolonged closures may occur and guest traffic may decline due to the actual or perceived effects of future weather related events.

Because our business is seasonal, with the highest volume of net sales during the fourth quarter, adverse events during the fourth quarter could materially affect our financial statements as a whole.

We generally recognize our highest volume of net sales during the holiday selling season, which occurs in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year. In anticipation of this holiday, we purchase substantial amounts of seasonal inventory. Adverse events, such as deteriorating economic conditions, higher unemployment, higher gas prices, public transportation disruptions, or unanticipated adverse weather could result in lower-than-planned sales during the holiday season. An excess of seasonal merchandise inventory could result if our net sales during the holiday selling season fall below seasonal norms or expectations. If our fourth quarter sales results were substantially below expectations, our financial performance and operating results could be adversely affected by unanticipated markdowns, especially in seasonal merchandise.

The seasonality of our business places increased strain on our operations.

A disproportionate amount of our sales normally occur during our fourth quarter. If we do not stock or are otherwise unable to source products sufficient to meet customer demand, our business would be adversely affected. If we liquidate products, as we have in the past, we may be required to take significant inventory markdowns or write-offs, which could reduce profits. We may experience an increase in our shipping cost due to complimentary upgrades, split-shipments, and additional long-zone shipments necessary to ensure timely delivery for the holiday season. If too many customers access our Website within a short period of time due to increased holiday demand, we may experience system interruptions that make our Website unavailable or prevent us from efficiently fulfilling orders, which may reduce the volume of goods we sell and the attractiveness of our products and services. In addition, we may be unable to adequately staff our fulfillment and customer service centers during peak periods, and delivery services and other fulfillment companies and customer service providers may be unable to meet the seasonal demand.

Our profitability may be negatively affected by inventory shrinkage.

We are subject to the risk of inventory loss and theft. We experience significant inventory shrinkage and cannot be sure that incidences of inventory loss and theft will decrease in the future or that the measures we are taking will effectively reduce the problem of inventory shrinkage. Although some level of inventory shrinkage is an unavoidable cost of doing business, if we were to experience higher rates of inventory shrinkage or incur increased security costs to combat inventory theft, our business and results of operations could be affected adversely.

Failure to execute our opportunistic buying could adversely affect our business.

We purchase the majority of our inventory opportunistically, with our buyers purchasing close to need. Establishing the "treasure hunt" nature of the off-price buying experience to drive traffic to our stores requires us to offer changing assortments of merchandise in our stores. While opportunistic buying provides our buyers the ability to buy at desirable times and prices, in the quantities we need and into market trends, it places considerable discretion in our buyers, subjecting us to risks related to the pricing, quantity, nature and timing of inventory flowing to our stores. If we are unable to provide frequent replenishment of fresh, high quality, attractively priced merchandise in our stores, it could adversely affect traffic to our stores as well as our sales and margins. We base our purchases of inventory, in part, on our sales forecasts. If our sales forecasts do not match customer demand, we may experience higher inventory levels and need to markdown excess or slow-moving inventory, leading to decreased profit margins, or we may have insufficient inventory to meet customer demand, leading to lost sales, either of which could adversely affect our financial performance.

Failure to execute our inventory management process could adversely affect our business.

We must also properly execute our inventory management strategies by appropriately allocating merchandise among our stores, timely and efficiently distributing inventory to stores, maintaining an appropriate mix and level of inventory in stores, appropriately changing the allocation of floor space of stores among product categories to respond to customer demand and effectively managing pricing and markdowns, and there is no assurance we will be able to do so. Failure to effectively execute our inventory management strategies could adversely affect our performance and our relationship with our customers.

Our business could suffer if we are unsuccessful in making, integrating, and maintaining commercial agreements, strategic alliances, and other business relationships.

We provide e-commerce and other services to businesses through commercial agreements, strategic alliances, and business relationships. Under these agreements, we enable sellers to offer products or services through our websites. These arrangements are complex and require substantial infrastructure capacity, personnel, and other resource commitments, which may limit the amount of business we can service. We may not be able to implement, maintain, and develop the components of these commercial relationships, which may include web services, fulfillment, customer service, inventory management, tax collection, payment processing, hardware, content, and third-party software, and engaging third parties to perform services. The amount of compensation we receive under certain of our commercial agreements is partially dependent on the volume of the other company’s sales. Therefore, if the other company’s offering is not successful, the compensation we receive may be lower than expected or the agreement may be terminated. Moreover, we may not be able to enter into additional commercial relationships and strategic alliances on favorable terms. We also may be subject to claims from businesses to which we provide these services if we are unsuccessful in implementing, maintaining, or developing these services.

As our agreements terminate, we may be unable to renew or replace these agreements on comparable terms, or at all. We may in the future enter into amendments on less favorable terms or encounter parties that have difficulty meeting their contractual obligations to us, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Our present and future e-commerce services agreements, other commercial agreements, and strategic alliances create additional risks such as: disruption of our ongoing business, including loss of management focus on existing businesses; impairment of other relationships; variability in revenue and income from entering into, amending, or terminating such agreements or relationships; and difficulty integrating under the commercial agreements.

Our business may be adversely affected by catastrophic events and extreme or unseasonable weather conditions.

Unforeseen events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues and natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes, whether occurring in the United States or abroad, could disrupt our supply chain operations, international trade or result in political or economic instability. Any of the foregoing events could result in property losses, reduce demand for our products or make it difficult or impossible to obtain merchandise from our suppliers.

Extreme weather conditions in the areas in which our stores are located, particularly in markets where we have multiple stores, could adversely affect our business. For example, heavy snowfall, rainfall or other extreme weather conditions over a prolonged period might make it difficult for our customers to travel to our stores and thereby reduce our sales and profitability. Our business is also susceptible to unseasonable weather conditions. For example, extended periods of unseasonably warm temperatures during the winter season or cool weather during the summer season could render a portion of our inventory incompatible with those unseasonable conditions. Reduced sales from extreme or prolonged unseasonable weather conditions could adversely affect our business.

We may not timely identify or effectively respond to consumer trends or preferences, whether involving physical retail, e-commerce retail or a combination of both retail offerings, which could negatively affect our relationship with our customers and the demand for our products and services.

It is difficult to predict consistently and successfully the products and services our customers will demand. The success of our business depends in part on how accurately we predict consumer demand, availability of merchandise, the related impact on the demand for existing products and the competitive environment, whether for customers purchasing products at our stores and clubs, through our e-commerce businesses or through the combination of both retail offerings. A critical piece of identifying consumer preferences involves price transparency, assortment of products, customer experience and convenience. These factors are of primary importance to customers and they continue to increase in importance, particularly as a result of digital tools and social media available to consumers and the choices available to consumers for purchasing products online, at physical locations or through a combination of both retail offerings. Failure to timely identify or effectively respond to changing consumer tastes, preferences (including the key factors described above) and spending patterns, whether for our physical retail offerings, e-commerce offerings or through a combination of these retail offerings, could negatively affect our relationship with our customers and the demand for our products and services.

Decreases in discretionary consumer spending may have an adverse effect on us.

A substantial portion of the products and services we offer are products or services that consumers may view as discretionary items rather than necessities. As a result, our results of operations are sensitive to changes in macroeconomic conditions that impact consumer spending, including discretionary spending. Difficult macroeconomic conditions, particularly high levels of unemployment, also impact our customers’ ability to obtain consumer credit. Other factors, including consumer confidence, employment levels, interest rates, tax rates, consumer debt levels, and fuel and energy costs could reduce consumer spending or change consumer purchasing habits. Slowdowns in the U.S. or global economy, or an uncertain economic outlook, could adversely affect consumer spending habits and our results of operations.

If we do not continue to source new products, our ability to compete will be undermined, and we may be unable to implement our business plan.

Our ability to compete in the direct marketing industry and to expand into the traditional retail environment depends to a great extent on our ability to develop or acquire new innovative products under particular brands and to complement these products with related families of products under those brands.  If we do not source new products as our existing products mature through their product life cycles, or if we do not develop related families of products under our brands, we will not be able to implement our business plan, and the value of your investment may decrease.

Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected if we are unable to maintain our customer experience or provide high quality customer service.

The success of our business largely depends on our ability to provide superior customer experience and high quality customer service, which in turn depends on a variety of factors, such as our ability to continue to provide a reliable and user-friendly website interface for our customers to browse and purchase our products, reliable and timely delivery of our products, and superior after sales services. Our sales may decrease if our website services are severely interrupted or otherwise fail to meet our customer requests. Should we or our third-party delivery companies fail to provide our product delivery and return services in a convenient or reliable manner, or if our customers are not satisfied with our product quality, our reputation and customer loyalty could be negatively affected. In addition, we also depend on our call center and online customer service representatives to provide live assistance to our customers. If our call center or online customer service representatives fail to satisfy the individual needs of customers, our reputation and customer loyalty could be negatively affected and we may lose potential or existing customers and experience a decrease in sales. As a result, if we are unable to continue to maintain our customer experience and provide high quality customer service, we may not be able to retain existing customers or attract new customers, which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We depend upon designers, vendors and other sources of merchandise, goods and services.

Our business could be affected by disruptions in, or other legal, regulatory, political or economic issues associated with, our supply network. Our relationships with established and emerging designers have been a significant contributor to our past success. Our ability to find qualified vendors and access products in a timely and efficient manner is often challenging, particularly with respect to goods sourced outside the United States. Our procurement of goods and services from outside the United States is subject to risks associated with political or financial instability, trade restrictions, tariffs, currency exchange rates, transport capacity and costs and other factors relating to foreign trade. In addition, our procurement of all our goods and services is subject to the effects of price increases, which we may or may not be able to pass through to our customers. All of these factors may affect our ability to access suitable merchandise on acceptable terms, are beyond our control and could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Our advertising and marketing efforts may be costly and may not achieve desired results.

We incur substantial expense in connection with our advertising and marketing efforts. Although we target our advertising and marketing efforts on current and potential customers who we believe are likely to be in the market for the products we sell, we cannot assure you that our advertising and marketing efforts will achieve our desired results. In addition, we periodically adjust our advertising expenditures in an effort to optimize the return on such expenditures. Any decrease in the level of our advertising expenditures, which may be made to optimize such return could adversely affect our sales.

We may be required to collect sales tax on our direct marketing operations.

With respect to the direct sales, sales or other similar taxes are collected primarily in states where we have retail stores, another physical presence or personal property. However, various states or foreign countries may seek to impose sales tax collection obligations on out-of-state direct mail companies. A successful assertion by one or more states that we or one or more of our subsidiaries should have collected or should be collecting sales taxes on the direct sale of our merchandise could have an adverse effect on our business.

Government regulation is evolving and unfavorable changes could harm our business.

We are subject to general business regulations and laws, as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the Internet, e-commerce, electronic devices, and other services. Existing and future laws and regulations may impede our growth. These regulations and laws may cover taxation, privacy, data protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, mobile communications, electronic device certification, electronic waste, energy consumption, environmental regulation, electronic contracts and other communications, competition, consumer protection, web services, the provision of online payment services, information reporting requirements, unencumbered Internet access to our services, the design and operation of websites, the characteristics and quality of products and services, and the commercial operation of unmanned aircraft systems. It is not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, libel, and personal privacy apply to the Internet, e-commerce, digital content, and web services. Jurisdictions may regulate consumer-to-consumer online businesses, including certain aspects of our seller programs. Unfavorable regulations and laws could diminish the demand for our products and services and increase our cost of doing business.

Changes in federal, state or local laws and regulations could increase our expenses and adversely affect our results of operations.

Our business is subject to a wide array of laws and regulations. The current political environment, financial reform legislation, the current high level of government intervention and activism and regulatory reform may result in substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations and/or changes in the interpretation of existing laws and regulations, which may lead to additional compliance costs as well as the diversion of our management’s time and attention from strategic initiatives. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations we could be subject to legal risk, including government enforcement action and class action civil litigation that could disrupt our operations and increase our costs of doing business. Changes in the regulatory environment regarding topics such as privacy and information security, product safety or environmental protection, including regulations in response to concerns regarding climate change, collective bargaining activities, minimum wage laws and health care mandates, among others, could also cause our compliance costs to increase and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our profitability is vulnerable to cost increases, inflation and energy prices.

Future increases in our costs, such as the cost of merchandise, shipping rates, freight and fuel costs, and store occupancy costs, may reduce our profitability. The minimum wage has increased or is scheduled to increase in multiple states and local jurisdictions, and there is a possibility Congress will increase the federal minimum wage. These cost changes may be the result of inflationary pressures, which could further reduce our sales or profitability. Increases in other operating costs, including changes in energy prices, wage rates and lease and utility costs, may increase our costs of sales or operating expenses and reduce our profitability.

Risks Related to the Securities 

The Securities will not be freely tradable until one year from the initial purchase date. Although the Securities may be tradable under federal securities law, state securities regulations may apply and each Purchaser should consult with his or her attorney.

You should be aware of the long-term nature of this investment.  There is not now and likely will not be a public market for the Securities.  Because the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act or under the securities laws of any state or non-United States jurisdiction, the Securities have transfer restrictions and cannot be resold in the United States except pursuant to Rule 501 of Regulation CF.  It is not currently contemplated that registration under the Securities Act or other securities laws will be effected. Limitations on the transfer of the Securities may also adversely affect the price that you might be able to obtain for the Securities in a private sale. Purchasers should be aware of the long-term nature of their investment in the Company.  Each Purchaser in this Offering will be required to represent that it is purchasing the Securities for its own account, for investment purposes and not with a view to resale or distribution thereof.

Neither the Offering nor the Securities have been registered under federal or state securities laws, leading to an absence of certain regulation applicable to the Company.

No governmental agency has reviewed or passed upon this Offering, the Company or any Securities of the Company. The Company also has relied on exemptions from securities registration requirements under applicable state securities laws. Investors in the Company, therefore, will not receive any of the benefits that such registration would otherwise provide. Prospective investors must therefore assess the adequacy of disclosure and the fairness of the terms of this Offering on their own or in conjunction with their personal advisors.

No Guarantee of Return on Investment 

There is no assurance that a Purchaser will realize a return on its investment or that it will not lose its entire investment. For this reason, each Purchaser should read the Form C and all Exhibits carefully and should consult with its own attorney and business advisor prior to making any investment decision.

A majority of the Company is owned by a small number of owners.

Prior to the Offering the Company’s current owners of 20% or more beneficially own up to 100% of the Company. Subject to any fiduciary duties owed to our other owners or investors under Delaware law, these owners may be able to exercise significant influence over matters requiring owner approval, including the election of  directors or managers and approval of significant Company transactions, and will have significant control over the Company’s management and policies. Some of these persons may have interests that are different from yours. For example, these owners may support proposals and actions with which you may disagree. The concentration of ownership could delay or prevent a change in control of the Company or otherwise discourage a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control of the Company, which in turn could reduce the price potential investors are willing to pay for the Company. In addition, these owners could use their voting influence to maintain the Company’s existing management, delay or prevent changes in control of the Company, or support or reject other management and board proposals that are subject to owner approval.

The Company has the right to extend the Offering deadline.

The Company may extend the Offering deadline beyond what is currently stated herein. This means that your investment may continue to be held in escrow while the Company attempts to raise the Minimum Amount even after the Offering deadline stated herein is reached. Your investment will not be accruing interest during this time and will simply be held until such time as the new Offering deadline is reached without the Company receiving the Minimum Amount, at which time it will be returned to you without interest or deduction, or the Company receives the Minimum Amount, at which time it will be released to the Company to be used as set forth herein. Upon or shortly after release of such funds to the Company, the Securities will be issued and distributed to you. 

The Company has the right to end the Offering early.

The Company may also end the Offering early. If the Offering reaches the Minimum Amount after 30 calendar days but before the Offering deadline, the Company can end the Offering with five business days’ notice. This means your failure to participate in the Offering in a timely manner, may prevent you from being able to participate – it also means the Company may limit the amount of capital it can raise during the Offering by ending it early. 

Your ownership of the shares of stock will be subject to dilution.

Owners of do not have preemptive rights. If the Company conducts subsequent Offerings of or Securities convertible into , issues shares pursuant to a compensation or distribution reinvestment plan or otherwise issues additional shares, investors who purchase shares in this Offering who do not participate in those other stock issuances will experience dilution in their percentage ownership of the Company’s outstanding shares. Furthermore, shareholders may experience a dilution in the value of their shares depending on the terms and pricing of any future share issuances (including the shares being sold in this Offering) and the value of the Company’s assets at the time of issuance.

The Securities will be equity interests in the Company and will not constitute indebtedness.

The Securities will rank junior to all existing and future indebtedness and other non-equity claims on the Company with respect to assets available to satisfy claims on the Company, including in a liquidation of the Company. Additionally, unlike indebtedness, for which principal and interest would customarily be payable on specified due dates, there will be no specified payments of dividends with respect to the Securities and dividends are payable only if, when and as authorized and declared by the Company and depend on, among other matters, the Company’s historical and projected results of operations, liquidity, cash flows, capital levels, financial condition, debt service requirements and other cash needs, financing covenants, applicable state law, federal and state regulatory prohibitions and other restrictions and any other factors the Company’s board of directors deems relevant at the time. In addition, the terms of the Securities will not limit the amount of debt or other obligations the Company may incur in the future. Accordingly, the Company may incur substantial amounts of additional debt and other obligations that will rank senior to the Securities.

There can be no assurance that we will ever provide liquidity to Purchasers through either a sale of the Company or a registration of the Securities.

There can be no assurance that any form of merger, combination, or sale of the Company will take place, or that any merger, combination, or sale would provide liquidity for Purchasers.  Furthermore, we may be unable to register the Securities for resale by Purchasers for legal, commercial, regulatory, market-related or other reasons.  In the event that we are unable to effect a registration, Purchasers could be unable to sell their Securities unless an exemption from registration is available.

The Company does not anticipate paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. 

The Company currently intends to retain future earnings, if any, for the foreseeable future, to repay indebtedness and to support its business. The Company does not intend in the foreseeable future to pay any dividends to holders of its shares of .

In addition to the risks listed above, businesses are often subject to risks not foreseen or fully appreciated by the management. It is not possible to foresee all risks that may affect us. Moreover, the Company cannot predict whether the Company will successfully effectuate the Company’s current business plan. Each prospective Purchaser is encouraged to carefully analyze the risks and merits of an investment in the Securities and should take into consideration when making such analysis, among other, the Risk Factors discussed above.

Investors will not be entitled to any inspection or information rights other than those required by law. 

Investors will not have the right to inspect the books and records of the Company or to receive financial or other information from the Company, other than as required by law. Other security holders of the Company may have such rights. Regulation CF requires only the provision of an annual report on Form C and no additional information. Additionally, there are numerous methods by which the Company can terminate annual report obligations, resulting in limited to no information rights, contractual, statutory or otherwise, owed to Investors. This lack of information could put Investors at a disadvantage in general and with respect to other security holders, including certain security holders who have rights to periodic financial statements and updates from the Company such as quarterly unaudited financials, annual projections and budgets, and monthly progress reports, among other things.  In addition, the Company is not currently subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Therefore, Investors may not have access to information to which they would have access if the investment were made in a publicly held company whose offering was issued under the Exchange Act, and who is subject to the reporting regulations provided by the Exchange Act.

You should be aware of the long-term nature of this investment.  

There is not now, and may never be, a public market for the Securities. Because the Securities are being sold under exemptions to registration, and therefore have not been registered under the Securities Act or under the securities laws of any state or non-United States jurisdiction, the Securities may have certain transfer restrictions. Our bylaws also place additional transfer restrictions on the Shares.  It is not currently contemplated that registration under the Securities Act or other securities laws will occur for the Securities. Limitations on the transfer of the Securities may also adversely affect the price that you might be able to obtain for the Securities in a sale in the future. Investors in the Company, therefore, will not receive any of the benefits that such registration would otherwise provide. You must assess the adequacy of disclosure and the fairness of the terms of this Offering on your own or in conjunction with your personal advisors. You should be aware of the long-term nature of your investment in the Company.

There is no present market for the Securities and we have arbitrarily set the price.

We have arbitrarily set the price of the Securities with reference to the general status of the securities market and other relevant factors. The Offering price for the Securities should not be considered an indication of the actual value of the Securities and is not based on our net worth or prior earnings. We cannot assure you that the Securities could be resold by you at the Offering price or at any other price.

The Company has the right to conduct multiple closings during the Offering. 

If the Company meets certain terms and conditions an intermediate close of the Offering can occur, which will allow the Company to draw down on a portion of the proceeds of the Offering committed and captured during the relevant period. The Company may choose to continue the Offering thereafter. Purchasers should be mindful that this means they can make multiple investment commitments in the Offering, which may be subject to different cancellation rights. For example, if an intermediate close occurs and later a material change occurs as the Offering continues, Purchasers previously closed upon will not have the right to re-confirm their investment as it will be deemed completed.

Material changes to the Offering will cancel pending investments unless you reconfirm your commitment. 

Material changes to an offering include but are not limited to: a change in minimum offering amount, change in the security price (except as otherwise described in this Form C with respect to participation in tranches with at discounted prices), change in management, material change to financial information, etc.  If an issuer makes a material change to the offering terms or other information disclosed Investors will be given five (5) business days to reconfirm their investment commitment.  If Investors do not reconfirm, their investment will be cancelled and the funds will be returned.

THE SECURITIES OFFERED INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. ANY PERSON CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF THESE SECURITIES SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE AND OTHER FACTORS SET FORTH IN THIS FORM C AND SHOULD CONSULT WITH HIS OR HER LEGAL, TAX AND FINANCIAL ADVISORS PRIOR TO MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES. THE SECURITIES SHOULD ONLY BE PURCHASED BY PERSONS WHO CAN AFFORD TO LOSE ALL OF THEIR INVESTMENT.