Overview
American Education Center, Inc. was incorporated inNevada ("AEC Nevada") inMay 2014 as a holding company, and operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries,American Education Center, Inc. , incorporated in theState of New York in 1999 ("AEC New York"),AEC Management Ltd. , incorporated in theBritish Virgin Islands onOctober 23, 2018 ("AEC BVI") and the subsidiaries of AEC BVI. For approximately 20 years, AEC New York has devoted itself to international education exchange betweenChina and theU.S. , by providing education and career enrichment opportunities for students, teachers, and educational institutions from both countries. AECNevada acquired AEC Southern UK and its subsidiaries in 2016 pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement (as defined below). AECSouthern UK holds 100% of the equity interests inAEC Southern Management Limited , aHong Kong company ("AEC Southern HK") incorporated onDecember 29, 2015 , with a registered capital ofHK$10,000 . AECSouthern UK owns 100% of the equity interests inQianhai Meijiao Education Consulting Management Co., Ltd. ("AEC Southern Shenzhen"), a foreign wholly owned subsidiary incorporated pursuant to PRC law onMarch 29, 2016 , with a registered capital ofRMB5,000,000 . OnJuly 10, 2018 , AEC New York acquired a 51% equity ownership inAmerican Institute of Financial Intelligence LLC , aNew Jersey limited liability company ("AIFI") fromFIFPAC Inc. ("FIFPAC"), aNew Jersey corporation, the then 100% owner of AIFI, pursuant to a Business Purchase Agreement. AIFI currently does not have any active operating activities. OnApril 22, 2019 , AEC BVI acquired AEC Southern HK and its subsidiary, AECSouthern Shenzhen , pursuant to a share transfer agreement by and among the related parties, AEC BVI and AEC Southern UK, for a nominal consideration (the "AEC Southern HK Transfer"). OnMay 1, 2019 , Pursuant to a certain share exchange agreement datedMay 1, 2019 , AEC Nevada sold 100% of the equity interest in AEC Southern UK to three individuals, Ye Tian, Rongxia Wang andWeishou Li (the "AEC Southern UK Sale"). Accordingly, following the transactions underlying the AEC Southern HK Transfer and the AEC Southern UK Sale, AECSouthern UK is no longer a subsidiary of ours, and we operate AEC Southern HK and AEC Southern Shenzhen through AEC BVI. 36
AEC BVI, via its operating entity in the PRC, AEC Southern Shenzhen, serves as a local platform for expanding the Company's business in mainlandChina . Our PRC operations are based in the city ofShenzhen ,Guangdong province, a city designated by the PRC as aSpecial Economic Zone ("SEZ"). SEZs are granted a more free-market oriented economic and regulatory environment, with business and tax policies designed to attract foreign investment and technology. OnMay 22, 2020 , AEC Southern HK formedYiqilai (Shenzhen) Consulting Management Co., Ltd. ("AEC YQL") inShenzhen, China pursuant to PRC laws. AEC YQL is a wholly owned subsidiary of AEC Southern HK, and as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, does not have significant business activities. OnAugust 18, 2020 , AEC YQL entered into a series of contractual arrangements, including an Equity Pledge Agreement, Exclusive Management Consulting Agreement, Exclusive Option Agreement, andIrrevocable Power of Attorney (collectively, the "VIE Agreements"), withShenzhen Zhongwei Technology Co., Ltd. ("Zhongwei"), a PRC company, andDing Xiang (Shenzhen) Investment Co., Ltd. , a PRC company ("Pledgor"), the sole shareholder of Zhongwei controlled byDewei Li andBin Liu (the "Zhongwei Ultimate Shareholders"). Pursuant to the VIE Agreements, AEC YQL gained control over Zhongwei. Zhongwei is involved in, among other things, e-commerce, and the Company plans to leverage Zhongwei's current e-commerce platform, and to engage in business such as online education e-commerce. In consideration for entering into the transactions contemplated by the VIE Agreements, onAugust 18, 2020 , the Company entered into a Share Issuance Agreement (the "Share Issuance Agreement") with the Zhongwei Ultimate Shareholders, whereby the Company agreed to issue to the Zhongwei Ultimate Shareholders an aggregate of 2,640,690 shares of the Company's common stock, par value$0.001 . The transactions underlying the Share Issuance Agreement is closed inAugust 2020 . 37
As of the date of this report, the corporate structure of the Company is illustrated as follows:
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Our mission is to become a leading provider for international education services, and providing total solutions for technology in education field, as well as providing corporation advisory management services.
Currently, through AEC New York and AEC Southern Shenzhen we provide four types of consulting services:
? Placement Advisory Services; ? Career Advisory Services; ?Student & Family Services ; and ? Other Advisory Services.
Services to our clients are provided through the Company's principal executive
office in
Leveraging our knowledge of the educational system and environment in theU.S. and our understanding of the market demand for education services in the PRC and its changing business economy, we specialize in the delivery of customized high school and college placement advisory services as well as career advisory services to Chinese students wishing to study and gain post-graduate work experience in theU.S. Our advisory services are specifically designed to address the educational needs of the rising middle-class families inChina . The demand for our advisory services is primarily the result ofChina's decades-long one-child policy, society's focus and emphasis on children's education, and families' desire to gain access toU.S. colleges and universities as well as work experience in theU.S. 38 Headquartered inNew York with operations in the PRC, the Company, during the quarter endedSeptember 30, 2020 operated, and currently operates in two market segments:
(1) AEC New York capitalizes on the rising demand from the middle-class families
in
and college placement and career advisory services to Chinese students
wishing to study in the
college admission advisory, on-campus advisory, internship and start-up
advisory as well as student and family services.
(2) AEC BVI, though AEC Southern Shenzhen, delivers customized high school and
college placement and career advisory services to Chinese students wishing to
study in the
Shenzhen . Placement Advisory Services
Our Placement Advisory Services include Language Training, Placement Advisory and Elite College Advisory services.
Since 1999, we have been delivering customized Language Training & Placement Advisory services to Chinese students. Our one-stop advisory services encompass ESL training and assistance throughout the high school and college application and admission process. Our Language Training service is based on the existing ESL training platform which provides language training for standard test preparation and is designed to help improve student's English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Student customers will be able to take these training courses online when our ESL online training platform goes live, which we expect to take place in the first quarter of 2021. Targeting the needs of Chinese families in obtaining admission toIvy League and other prestigious universities in theU.S. , our Elite College Advisory service is designed to assist qualified Chinese students in applying to prestigious colleges and universities in theU.S. Specifically, we arrange campus tours, assist our student customers with their university applications, provide tailored language training, offer guidance on interview and communication techniques, and follow up on their applications. Once our student customers are admitted into their target universities, our Placement Advisory services further extend to academic and cultural related experiences including, among other things, providing assistance with applying for a second major or minor, transferring to a different university, housing accommodations, and applying for accelerated degrees. To help students optimize their on-campus experience and train their leadership and social skills, we also organize seminars and social events with our partner scholars and universities, non-profit and for-profit business organizations. Additionally, to help enrich their cultural experiences, we organize extracurricular and artistic activities including dance, music, painting, photography, and other performance events. For college application, we have designed the Key School Admissions Program, giving student customers closely guided application consulting services to gain admission to topU.S. universities.
For on-campus academic counseling, we offer the Elite100 program that focuses on leadership and communication skills development for our student customers.
We provide placement services through both AEC New York and AEC BVI. AECNew York refers businesses to AEC Southern Shenzhen when clients in the PRC need local support. Career Advisory Services
Our Career Advisory Services include our Internship Advisory program and our Start-up Advisory program.
Our Internship Advisory program focuses on students' career development by helping them identify and secure suitable internship and part-time or full-time work opportunities that are appropriate for their educational background and experience level. Through this program, we strive to help students map and navigate their career path and counsel them on matters including academic improvement to career assistance. Through this program, our student customers are given opportunities to communicate with professionals in their field of study and to participate in real-world case studies. 39 Our Start-up Advisory program provides advisory services to individual students and/or their familieswho want to start or make an investment in a business in theU.S. Collaborating with our strategic partners, our services include (i) recommending alternative business development opportunities; (ii) assistance with business plan development; (iii) assistance with accounting and financial management, marketing, product and project design; and (iv) assistance in project financing.
Student & Family Advisory Services
Our Student & Family Advisory Services are designed to assist our students and/or their families in the process of settling down in theU.S. , so they can effectively focus on their studies. We provide thorough services tailored to the unique needs of each student family encountered in theU.S. Through our business partners, we assist the students' families with purchasing real estate properties, organizing their personal financial management and investment needs, getting insurance and starting businesses. Our American Dream Program helps students' families find investment projects in theU.S. We also advise corporate clients whose executives are moving to theU.S. for work. The scope of our services includes assistance with business consulting, relocation and other aspects of family support services. Services provided under this program are customized and thorough, and tailored towards each family's unique needs in theU.S. Other Advisory Services
Through our Foreign Student Recruitment services, we assist universities inChina to recruit students from theU.S. We customize this service based on our strategic relationship with college and universities in theU.S. and the specific recruitment goals of these universities inChina . The demand for our recruitment services is driven mainly by the lack of an established channel to attract students from theU.S. and the needs by the Chinese universities to expand and diversify their student body. Our Foreign Educator Placement services are designed to meet the increasing demand for experienced educators and teachers from theU.S. to teach inChina . Such demand covers the need to recruit qualified US educators from Pre K-12
to teach inChina .
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
InDecember 2019 , a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced inWuhan, China , which has and is continuing to spread throughoutChina and other parts of the world, includingthe United States . OnJanuary 30, 2020 , theWorld Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern," and onMarch 11, 2020 , theWorld Health Organization characterized the outbreak as a "pandemic". The pandemic has forced governments around the world to take drastic measures to halt the outbreak, resulting in quarantines, stay-at-home requirements, travel restrictions, temporary change of immigration policies and temporary closure of businesses and facilities inChina , theU.S. , and throughout the world. A substantial part of the Company's revenue and workforce are concentrated inChina and in theU.S. Additionally, all of our four lines of business rely upon the ability to travel and the level of interest of our customers and prospective customers to study, work and reside overseas, which has been significantly affected by the pandemic. Consequently, we saw a significant decrease in requests for our services, which has materially adversely affected the Company's business operations and its financial condition and operating results for the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2020 , and these negative impacts will likely continue through the rest of the fiscal year 2020. In order to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, our Company has taken certain measures to our operations to ensure the safety of our staff, as well as to adjust to the reopening but potential surge of new cases. We have made work-from-home possible for our staff, so as to reduce congregation and possibility of transmission of the disease. We have been devoting time and effort to research and develop new services and products. Additionally, we have identified an online platform related to education to diversify our means in generating revenue and are in the process of negotiating a partnership or acquisition. 40 The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving. The information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is based on data currently available to us and will likely change as the pandemic progresses. As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, some countries have slowly re-opened, but with surges of new cases appearing, while theU.S. continues to see increasing new COVID-19 cases in certain states. As COVID-19 persists throughout areas in which we operate and the rest of the world, we believe the outbreak has the potential to continue to have a material negative impact on our operating results and financial condition going into the third and fourth quarters of 2020. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, impact on our employees, suppliers, student customers and other customers, and the impact on the Company's ability to obtain debt and equity financing to fund business activities, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. Given these uncertainties, at present, we cannot reasonably estimate the related impact to our business, operating results and financial condition for the year endingDecember 31, 2020 .
Significant Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations is based upon our unaudited consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted inthe United States of America ("US GAAP"). The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates including the allowance for doubtful accounts, income taxes and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form our basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The consolidated financial statements are comprised of AEC Nevada and its wholly owned subsidiaries, AEC New York, and AEC BVI. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. As part of the process of preparing our unaudited consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our income taxes. This process involves estimating our current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities. As ofSeptember 30, 2020 , the Company does not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. We cannot predict what future laws and regulations might be passed that could have a material effect on our results of operations. We assess the impact of significant changes in laws and regulations on a regular basis and update the assumptions and estimates used to prepare our unaudited consolidated financial statements when we deem it necessary. We have determined significant accounting principles with policies that involve the most complex and subjective decisions or assessments. While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our financial statements, we believe that the following accounting policies are the most critical to aid you in fully understanding and evaluating this "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Both operating groups are reported under the same accounting policies/estimations. Revenue is recognized when the following criteria are met: (1) when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery of the services has occurred; (3) the fee is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectability of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. AECNew York delivers customized high school and college placement, career advisory as well as student and family services. Fees related to such advisory services that are collected from individuals are generally paid to the Company in advance and they are recorded as deferred revenue. Revenues are recognized proportionally as services are rendered or upon completion. Fees related to our advisory services provided by AEC New York to corporate customers (such as staffing agencies and placement agencies) are generally collected after services are provided, and are recorded as accounts receivable. OnJanuary 1, 2019 , the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02), as amended, which supersedes the lease accounting guidance under Topic 840, and generally requires lessees to recognize operating and financing lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use (ROU) assets on the balance sheet and to provide enhanced disclosures surrounding the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leasing arrangements. We first evaluate our leases to determine whether they are classified as a finance lease or as an operating lease. A lease is a finance lease if any of the following criteria are met: (a) ownership transfers, (b) the lease includes an option to purchase the underlying asset, (c) the lease term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of the underlying asset, (d) the present value of the lease payments equals or exceeds the fair value of the underlying asset, or (e) the underlying asset is of a specialized nature that is expected to have no alternative use to the lessor at the end of the lease term. As such, all of our leases are classified as operating leases. We then determine whether the short-term exemption applies. The short-term exemption applies if the lease term 12 months or less and does not include a purchase option whose exercise is reasonably certain. If the short-term exemption applies then lease payments are recognized as expense and no asset or liability is recorded. If the short-term exemption does not apply, then we record an operating lease right-of-use asset and a corresponding operating lease liability equal to the present value of the lease payments. The ten-year commercial real estate lease we entered into inDecember 2014 did not meet the short-term exemption and, accordingly, we recorded the present value of the lease payments as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability in the unaudited consolidated balance sheet. We recognize expense on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. 41
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
InJanuary 2017 , the FASB issued accounting standard update which simplifies the test for goodwill impairment. To address concerns over the cost and complexity of the two-step goodwill impairment test, the amendments in this update remove the second step of the test. An entity will apply a one-step quantitative test and record the amount of goodwill impairment as the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The new guidance does not amend the optional qualitative assessment of goodwill impairment. This update is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning afterDecember 15, 2019 . Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates afterJanuary 1, 2017 . The Company adopted the update in the fourth quarter of 2018. The adoption of the new standard did not have an impact on our consolidated financial statements. InOctober 2018 , the FASB issued ASU 2018-17, Consolidation (Topic 810): Targeted Improvements to the Related Party Guidance for Variable Interest Entities. ASU 2018-17 changes how entities evaluate decision-making fees under the variable interest entity guidance. To determine whether decision-making fees represent a variable interest, an entity considers indirect interests held through related parties under common control on a proportional basis, rather than in their entirety. This guidance will be adopted using a retrospective approach and is effective for the Company onJanuary 1, 2020 . The Company has evaluated the effect of the adoption of this ASU and the standard did not have an impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures from the adoption of the new guidance. InDecember 2019 , the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 - Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This ASU provides an exception to the general methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period when a year-to-date loss exceeds the anticipated loss for the year. This update also (1) requires an entity to recognize a franchise tax (or similar tax) that is partially based on income as an income-based tax and account for any incremental amount incurred as a non-income-based tax, (2) requires an entity to evaluate when a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill should be considered part of the business combination in which goodwill was originally recognized for accounting purposes and when it should be considered a separate transaction, and (3) requires that an entity reflect the effect of an enacted change in tax laws or rates in the annual effective tax rate computation in the interim period that includes the enactment date. The standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning afterDecember 15, 2020 , with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements. Results of Operations Below we have included a discussion of our operating results and material changes in the periods covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. For additional information on the potential risks associated with these initiatives and our operations, please refer to the Risk Factors sections in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 , as filed onMay 29, 2020 . Our financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. We expect we will require additional capital to meet our long-term operating requirements. We expect to raise additional capital through, among other things, additional funding from a shareholder of the Company, and believe that will be sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for working capital and satisfying our estimated liquidity needs 12 months from the date of the financial statements. 42 OnMay 1, 2019 , the Company sold AEC Southern UK to three individuals, Ye Tian, Rongxia Wang andWeishou Li . As a result, (1) the financial results of AECSouthern UK were reflected in our consolidated statement of income, retrospectively, as discontinued operations beginning in the first quarter of 2019; and (2) the related assets and liabilities associated with AEC Southern UK in the consolidated balance sheet as ofDecember 31, 2019 are classified as discontinued operations. See "Note 10 - Discontinued Operations" to our unaudited consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The Three Months EndedSeptember 30, 2020 , as Compared to the Three Months EndedSeptember 30, 2019 For the three months ended September 30, 2020 2019 Variance % Key revenue streams: Placement Advisory Services$ 865 $ 432,371 $ (431,506 ) (100 )% Career Advisory Services - 731,610 (731,610 ) (100 ) Student & Family Advisory - 400,700 (400,700 ) (100 ) Other Advisory - - - - % Total revenues$ 865 $ 1,564,681 $ (1,563,816 ) (100 )% Gross Profit$ (749 ) $ 684,292 $ (685,041 ) (100 )% Gross Margin NM % 44 % Revenue
? Total revenues for the three months ended
representing a decrease of
period in 2019. The decrease was mainly due to the recent outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, which negatively impacted our services
to current customers
besides the seasonality factors related to the high school/college admission
process. The outbreak of COVID-19 in
travels bans from
entering the
financial performance of the Company.
Total revenues for the three months ended
generated by the operations of AEC BVI, which deliver customized high school
and college placement and career advisory services to Chinese students
seeking to study in the
? Revenues for the three months ended
advisory services decreased by
2019. The decrease in our placement advisory services was due to the
decrease in service requests. For the three months ended
no revenues from our career advisory services and student & family advisory
services were generated, primarily due to the decreased request from negative impact of the COVID-19.. We expect the impact of COVID-19 on our business, especially on school
application and career advisory services, will last until the end of this
year, due to restrictions on domestic and international travels, delay of
the spring semester and cancellation of overseas exams, as well as
difficulty to obtain valid visas. We will continually monitor the
development of the epidemic as well as the impact on our operations and
financial performance and actively adjust our operational strategies and
make efforts on cost control and reducing expenditures. We will also strive
to expand our target market and provide support of online study to our
customers.
? In addition, the Chinese government offers incentives and benefits though
its Talents Policy to Chinese students
there. This Talents Policy has encouraged many of our clients
graduated or are about to graduate to go back to
in the
advisory and student & family advisory services. Additionally, the decrease
in the value of
on international students is increasingly driving Chinese students to choose
to apply to universities and colleges in non-U.S. countries or choose to return to the PRC after graduation, rather than staying in theU.S. To mitigate the effect of such recent changes, we are expanding our local
services in the PRC, concentrating on new services promotion and increasing
our mergers and acquisitions efforts by focusing on researching, identifying
prospective targets, negotiating and executing on this strategy. 43 Gross Profit & Gross Margin
? Our gross profit for the three months ended
decrease can be attributed mainly to a decline in service request as the
travel restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 had led to fewer student
customers requesting our services.
The following table summarizes changes in operating expenses and provision for income taxes for the periods presented:
For the three months ended September 30, 2020 2019 Variance % Operating expenses Selling and marketing $ 4$ 116,008 $ (116,004 ) (100 )%
Research and development expenses 37,454 -
37,454 100 General and administrative 1,394,113 953,872 440,241 46 % Total operating expenses$ 1,431,571 $ 1,069,880 $ 361,691 34 % Income tax benefit$ (22,632 ) $ (105,656 ) $ 83,024 NM %
Net (loss) from continuing operations
including non-controlling interest
NM % Operating Expenses
? Total operating expenses increased by
three months ended
net effect of the decrease of the marketing expense and professional fee,
and the increase of the uncollectable account receivables and office expense. Income Tax Benefit
? Income tax benefit of
represents the net effect of the tax payable and net losses for the periods
presented. Net Loss
? Net loss from continuing operations including non-controlling interest was
net loss of
representing the net effect of the increased operation expenses and decreased revenue. The Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, 2020 , as Compared to the Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, 2019 For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 2019 Variance % Key revenue streams: Placement Advisory Services$ 42,349 $ 1,264,887 $ (1,222,538 ) (97 )% Career Advisory Services 234,191 2,548,885 (2,314,694 ) (91 ) Student & Family Advisory - 887,700 (887,700 ) (100 ) Other Advisory 507 3,000 (2,493 ) (83 )% Total revenues$ 277,047 $ 4,704,472 $ (4,424,931 ) (94 )% Gross Profit$ 109,379 $ 2,055,396 $ (1,946,017 ) (95 )% Gross Margin 39 % 44 % 44 Revenue
? Total revenues for the nine months ended
representing a decrease of
period in 2019. The decrease was mainly due to the recent outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, which negatively impacted our services to
current customers
the seasonality factors related to the high school/college admission process.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in
bans from
and paused applications from prospective students from
educational institutions. These factors adversely impacted the financial
performance of the Company.
Total revenues for the nine months ended
the operations of AEC New York and AEC BVI, which deliver customized high
school and college placement and career advisory services to Chinese students
seeking to study in the
? Revenues for the nine months ended
advisory services decreased by
in 2019. The decrease in our placement advisory services was due to the
decrease in service requests. Revenues for our career advisory services
decreased by
primarily due to the decreased request from negative impact of the COVID-19.
No revenue from our student & family advisory services was generated for the
nine months ended
in 2019. Revenues from other advisory services decreased by
for the same period in 2019, due to the service request from customers.
We expect the impact of COVID-19 on our business, especially on school
application and career advisory services, will last until the end of this
year, due to restrictions on domestic and international travels, delay of the
spring semester and cancellation of overseas exams, as well as difficulty to
obtain valid visas. We will continually monitor the development of the
epidemic as well as the impact on our operations and financial performance and
actively adjust our operational strategies and make efforts on cost control
and reducing expenditures. We will also strive to expand our target market and
to start providing online courses to our customers.
? In addition, the Chinese government offers incentives and benefits though its
Talents Policy to Chinese students
This Talents Policy has encouraged many of our clients
or are about to graduate to go back to
which resulted in less service requests for our placement advisory and
student & family advisory services. Additionally, the decrease in the value
of
international students is increasingly driving Chinese students to choose to
apply to universities and colleges in non-
to the PRC after graduation, rather than staying in the
effect of such recent changes, we are expanding our local services in the PRC,
concentrating on new services promotion and accelerating our mergers and
acquisitions efforts. Gross Profit & Gross Margin
? Our gross profit for the nine months ended
representing a decrease of
ended
in service request as the travel restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19
had led to fewer student customers requesting our services.
? Our gross margin was approximately 39% for the nine months ended
2020, compared to approximately 44% for the same period in 2019. 45
The following table summarizes changes in operating expenses and provision for income taxes for the periods presented:
For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 2019 Variance % Operating expenses Selling and marketing$ 74,119 $ 317,257 $ (243,138 ) (77 )%
Research and development expenses 37,454 -
37,454 100 General and administrative 2,819,229 2,405,750 413,479 17 Total operating expenses$ 2,930,802 $ 2,723,007 $ 207,795 8 % Income tax benefit$ (384,785 ) $ 260,420 $ (645,205 ) NM %
Net (loss) from continuing operations
including noncontrolling interest
NM % Operating Expenses
? Total operating expenses increased by
months ended
of the decrease of the marketing expense and professional fee, and the increase of the uncollectable account receivables and office expense. Income Tax Benefit
? Income tax benefit of
represents the net effect of the tax payable and net losses for the periods
presented. Net Loss
? Net loss from continuing operations including non-controlling interest was
net loss of
representing the net effect of the increased operation expenses and decreased
revenue.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Discontinued Operations OnMay 1, 2019 , the Company sold AEC Southern UK to three individuals, Ye Tian, Rongxia Wang andWeishou Li . As a result, (1) the financial results of AECSouthern UK were reflected in our consolidated statement of income, retrospectively, as discontinued operations beginning in the first quarter of 2019; and (2) the related assets and liabilities associated with AEC Southern UK in the consolidated balance sheet for the years endedDecember 31, 2019 , are classified as discontinued operations. See "Note 10 - Discontinued Operations" to our unaudited consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
As of September 30, 2020, we had cash of$ 741,693 , a decrease of$293,702 from$1,035,395 as ofDecember 31, 2019 for continuing operations. We have financed our operations primarily through cash flow from operating activities. We require cash for working capital, payment of accounts payables and accrued expenses, salaries, commissions and related benefits, and other operating expenses and income taxes. The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated. 46 Nine Months ended September 30, 2020 2019 Variance % Net cash used in operating activities Net cash used in continuing operating activities$ (814,673 ) $ (1,543,744 ) $ 729,071 NM % Net cash used in by discontinued operating activities - - - NM
Net cash used in operating activities
NM % Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities Net cash (used in) provided by continuing investing activities$ 97,785 $ (5,361 ) $ 103,146 NM % Net cash (used in) provided by discontinued investing activities - - - NM Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities$ 97,785 $ (5,361 ) 103,146 NM % Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities Net cash (used in) provided by continuing financing activities$ 432,722 $ 547,286 $ (114,564 ) (21 )% Net cash (used in) provided by discontinued financing activities - - - NM Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities$ 432,722 $ 547,286 (114,564 ) (21 )% Effect of exchange rates changes on cash (9,536 ) 6,759 (16,295 ) NM Net change in cash$ (293,702 ) $ (995,060 ) $ 701,358 NM %
Cash Flow from Operating Activities
? Net cash used in continuing operating activities for the nine months ended
ended
nine months ended
down payment to our service providers and decreased operating expense.
Cash Flow from Investing Activities
? Net cash provided by investing activities for the nine months ended
flow from investing activities for nine months ended
$5,361 for fixed assets purchased by AEC Southern Shenzhen.
Cash Flow from Financing Activities
? Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended
ended
activities was primarily attributable to the net effect of repayment of
short-term loan and proceeds from loans.
? The Company entered into a Share Issuance Agreement (the "Share Issuance
Agreement") with the Zhongwei Ultimate Shareholders, whereby the Company
agreed to issue to the Zhongwei Ultimate Shareholders an aggregate of
2,640,690 shares of the Company's common stock, par value
2020 in consideration for entering into the transactions contemplated by the
VIE Agreements to gain control over Zhongwei' assets.
? The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") was
enacted on
informed by its lender,
received approval from the
the Company's request for a loan under the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program
("PPP Loan") created as part of the recently enacted CARES Act administered by
the SBA. Per the terms of the PPP Loan, the Company received total proceeds of
the Company intends to use the proceeds from the PPP Loan primarily for
payroll costs. The PPP Loan has a 1.00% interest rate, and is subject to the
terms and conditions applicable to all loans made pursuant to the Paycheck
Protection Program as administered by the SBA under the CARES Act. 47
The PPP Loan forgiveness amount will be reduced for any EIDL advance that the
Company receives. The amount of loan forgiveness will be further reduced if
the borrower terminates employees or reduces salaries during the
twenty-four-week period following the loan's origination. The Company
currently believes that its use of the loan proceeds met the conditions for
forgiveness of the loan.
On
from the
Disaster Loan ("EIDL") program administered by the SBA, which program was
expanded pursuant to the CARES Act. On June 1,
for a loan under the SBA's EIDL program from SBA. Per the terms of the EIDL,
the Company received total proceeds of
interest rate, and is subject to the terms and conditions applicable to all
loans made pursuant to the EIDL Program as administered by the SBA. Company
has used all the proceeds of this loan solely as working capital to alleviate
economic injury caused by COVID-19 occurring in 2020. Working Capital The following table sets forth our working capital from continuing operations: September 30, December 31, 2020 2019 Variance % Total current assets from continuing operations$ 1,600,416 $ 4,163,050 $ (2,562,634) (62) % Total current liabilities from continuing operations 3,389,246 4,147,871 (758,625) (18) Working capital$ (1,788,830 ) $ 15,179 $ (1,804,009) NM % Current ratio 0.47 1.00
? As of
decrease of
of uncollected accounts receivable, and repayment to vendors as detailed in
the Section "Cash Flow from Financing Activities" above.
? We believe that our working capital will be sufficient to enable us to meet
our cash requirements for the next 12 months. We believe we have adequate
working capital to fund future growth activities. Going Concern The independent auditors' report accompanying ourSeptember 30, 2020 financial statements contained an explanatory paragraph expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements have been prepared "assuming that we will continue as a going concern," which contemplates that we will realize our assets and satisfy our liabilities and commitments in the ordinary course of business. Additionally, we expect that the outbreak of COVID-19 will continue to have material and adverse impacts on our cash flow for the three months endingDecember 31, 2020 with potential continuing impacts on subsequent periods. As such, we expect we will require additional capital to meet our long-term operating requirements. We expect to raise additional capital through, among other things, additional funding from a shareholder of the Company, and believe that will be sufficient to meet our anticipated needs for working capital and satisfying our estimated liquidity needs 12 months from the date of the financial statements.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have, during the period presented, and we are currently not party to, any off-balance sheet arrangements.
48 Seasonality We experience seasonality in business with students as customers, specifically our placement advisory, career advisory and student and family services, all related to the business of AEC New York. The seasonality reflects the general trend of the industry of admissions and education related services, corresponding to the predominantly fall semester start dates of educational institutions admissions. Our services are higher in the fourth and first quarters of our fiscal year than the other two quarters, reflecting the engagement for services of educational institutions admissions predominantly occurring in the fourth quarter and first quarter of a calendar year, and other consulting services corresponding to the beginning of academic year, i.e. the fall semester. Subsequent Events Management has evaluated subsequent events for recognition and disclosure through the date these financial statements were filed with theUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission and concluded that no other subsequent event or transactions have occurred that required recognition or disclosure in our consolidated financial statements except for the following.
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