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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains certain “forward-looking statements,” which include information relating to future events, future financial performance, strategies, expectations, competitive environment, regulation, and availability of resources. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding: proposed new initiatives; expectations regarding planned operations; statements concerning projections, predictions, expectations, estimates, or forecasts as to our business, financial and operational results, and future economic performance; and statements of management’s goals and objectives and other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
Item 1. Business
Overview
Youchange, Inc. was incorporated in the state of Arizona on August 22, 2008. We were organized as a software and services venture in the Green Technology (“GreenTech”) sector to develop a leading social movement to focus on the elimination of electronic waste (“eWaste”) in the United States, which includes any used, obsolete end-of-life consumer electronics and computer devices. The GreenTech sector is a recognized business sector also known as Environmental Technology or “Envirotech”. Companies in this sector apply environmental science in an effort to help conserve the environment and choose business approaches that are environmentally and economically sustainable.
On March 30, 2010, Youchange, Inc. and BlueStar Financial Group, Inc. (“BSFG”), a Nevada corporation and publicly traded shell company at such time, completed a merger transaction (referred to as the “reverse merger” throughout this filing), which is described in further detail below, and resulted in Youchange, Inc. shareholders obtaining control of BSFG. The surviving publicly traded entity following the reverse merger transaction changed its name to “YouChange Holdings Corp” during May 2010. The terms “youchange”, “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company” refer to YouChange Holdings Corp and its consolidated subsidiary, Youchange, Inc., following the date of the merger transaction, and to Youchange, Inc. prior to the date of the reverse merger transaction. Our fiscal year end is June 30.
For accounting purposes, Youchange, Inc. is the acquirer in the reverse merger transaction, and consequently the assets and liabilities and the historical operations reflected in the consolidated financial statements are those of Youchange, Inc. and are recorded at the historical cost basis of Youchange, Inc. All shares and per share data prior to the acquisition have been restated to reflect the stock issuance as a recapitalization of Youchange.
We were organized as a software and services venture in the Green Technology (“GreenTech”) sector to develop a leading social movement to focus on the elimination of electronic waste (“eWaste”) in the United States, which includes any used, obsolete end-of-life consumer electronics and computer devices. The GreenTech sector is a recognized business sector also known as Environmental Technology or “Envirotech”. Companies in this sector apply environmental science in an effort to help conserve the environment and choose business approaches that are environmentally and economically sustainable.
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The Company’s software includes a destination website, www.youchange.com, where users can join and refer friends to learn about the problem of electronic waste through content, blogs and forums. Site members are encouraged to take action through the turn-over and sale of their end-of-life, used or obsolete electronics, which reduces the risk of adding to the waste stream. Members access the youchange calculator and offer database through www.youchange.com and by answering a series of questions, may receive a real-time cash and/or reward points offer. Initially, reward points collected by members may be used to exchange for other items in the “Shop Green” area of the youchange.com website, which is an online marketplace where points can be exchanged for product. Members may send their items to us, or drop-off their items at our offices. In addition to the youchange.com website, users can join and learn about local events and electronic collection drives through youchange Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In social media pages.
We plan to collect used electronics through:
(i)
Offers made to members through our website, which is discussed above.
(ii)
Using already existing retailers or businesses as drop-off locations for used electronics. We plan to develop strategic alliances with retailers, electronic refurbishment centers and recyclers that may partner with youchange. By listing retailers as drop-off locations on our website, we will encourage our members to visit these locations and thus, would expect an increase in foot traffic for those locations. If members drop-off items rather than use our prepaid shipping mechanism, we expect to obtain these items at a lower cost. We are in discussions with Phoenix locations of a national car dealership, a major university, and several local charities and other organizations. We currently have drop-off agreements with a local computer repair store chain, Red Seven, the Phoenix location of the national Childhelp charity, and one of our recycling partners, E-Waste Harvesters Inc.
(iii)
Collecting used electronics through Company initiated collection events. Local electronic collection events play an important part of the youchange strategy and are done in partnership with local sports teams, businesses, schools and charity groups. We have developed a collection event and brand awareness model built around employees of third party companies bringing their excess electronics to work on designated days. We have piloted these events over the past few months in the Phoenix, Arizona area. A second component of this collection event and brand awareness model is to partner with local sports teams to host pre-game collection and brand awareness events. A third component of this model, which was launched in April 2011, is a new program we refer to as GREEN Ambassadors and GREEN Leaders, where members of the youchange community host collection events at various business or charity locations. As with retail and business permanent drop-off locations, if members drop-off their items rather than use our prepaid shipping mechanism, we expect to obtain these items at a lower cost.
The GREEN Leaders program was piloted at two Phoenix private elementary schools and is expected to be expanded to public and private high schools and colleges. We have several school districts piloting the program this fall in Arizona, including schools in Tempe and Phoenix. The GREEN Ambassadors program is expected to be piloted in a retirement community and we are in discussions with a local umbrella charity organization to allow its members to become GREEN Ambassadors.