Interim Results
Totally PLC
14 August 2003
14th August, 2003
Totally Plc ('Totally' or 'the Company')
Interim announcement of results
for the six month period ended 30th June 2003
Highlights
• Group turnover increased by 21 per cent. compared to the same period last year
• Retained loss reduced by 65 per cent. compared to the same period last year
• London Jewish News named Free Newspaper Of The Year at Press Gazette's
Regional Awards
• £650,000 contract agreed with major client for the provision of technical
services
Chairman's Statement
As a result of a 21 per cent increase in the Group's turnover, with only a
marginal increase in its expenses, the Group's retained loss for the period has
reduced by 65 per cent., when compared to the same period last year, from
£236,080 to £83,357. Given the generally poor trading conditions, this is an
excellent achievement for the Company and one that we believe further underlies
the benefits of focussing on one niche community.
Media Activities
I am delighted to announce that at this year's prestigious Press Gazette
Regional Awards, London Jewish News was named Free Newspaper Of The Year. This
is the industry's top accolade and, as such, adds important credibility to the
Group's advertising media. It also provides external validation of the
significant product development that has been ongoing since Totally acquired the
newspaper in November 2000.
Advertising revenues across the Group continued to grow, with a 7 per cent
increase over the same period last year, from £627,420 to £668,479. Given the
ongoing downturn in the advertising market, this growth is extremely
encouraging.
Ancillary subscription-based revenues, including those generated from dating and
property services, have also increased by 16 per cent compared with the same
period last year. A number of new subscription-based services are planned and
the directors are confident that these ancillary revenues have significant
potential for growth.
Communications Activities
Early in the Group's development, the directors recognised the opportunity to
utilise their technical and marketing-based knowledge and skills to generate
additional revenues from existing Jewish communal advertisers. As a result of
some early successes, we started planning the launch of a services-based arm to
compliment the Group's established media arm. This culminated in the
incorporation of Totally Communications Limited ('TCL') in June 2002.
In the period under review TCL generated services based revenue of £228,000
compared to £76,661 of similar revenue for the same period last year, a 197 per
cent. increase.
Technical Services
During the last quarter of 2002 the technology arm of TCL started working with
one of the UK's largest communal organisations, to develop, amongst other
things, a long-term technical strategy on their behalf. I am pleased to report
that this project has led to TCL being retained to implement the new strategy,
at a price of £650,000 which should be received over the next four and a half
years.
Over and above this substantial contract, TCL also continues to win smaller
technical contracts from within the community, involving website development,
more general application development and interim technical management
assignments. As a result, TCL is fast becoming the leading supplier of technical
solutions to the UK's Jewish communal marketplace. Given there are over 1,000
such organisations across the UK, and the fact that TCL is also working with a
number of commercial entities, the potential for profitably growing TCL's
technical services arm is significant.
Marketing Services
During the period under review, TCL has also generated revenues from providing
design, creative and contract publishing services (collectively known as
marketing services). Again the core focus has been on selling these services
into the Jewish communal marketplace, where relationships are strong and the
Group's credibility high.
To date, TCL has won a number of new retained clients where it is responsible
for developing most or all of their marketing products. TCL has also won four
separate contracts to act as a contract publisher on behalf of clients,
involving work across design, production, editorial, advertising sales and
distribution.
New business acquisition within the marketing services arena is going extremely
well and the directors see no reason why the revenue growth experienced in the
period under review will not continue into the second half of this year. Again,
the potential for expanding these services profitably across the Jewish communal
marketplace and beyond is significant.
Jewish Media Corporation ('JMC')
In difficult economic conditions the directors continue the process of raising
funds for JMC. This US based entity, co-owned by the Company and Ha'aretz Group,
was created in 2002 to develop Jewish media and services interests in the USA. A
recent visit to the USA has helped identify a number of new funding options. It
is hoped that further announcements about this venture will be made in the near
future.
Summary
The first six months of this year have been very positive for the Group as a
whole. Within both the media and communications areas, revenues have grown
steadily without the need for any material increase in costs. Whilst the
directors are confident that this organic growth can continue well into the
future, the benefits of expediting the Group's growth by raising additional
funds will be considered.
Finally, I would once again like to thank all our staff and advisers for their
ongoing support throughout the year.
Dr Michael Sinclair
Chairman
14th August, 2003
Profit and loss account
For the 6 months ended 30th June 2003
Note 6 months ended Year ended
6 months ended 30th June 31st December
30th June 2002 2002
2003 (unaudited) (audited)
(unaudited) £ £
£
Turnover 925,713 766,571 1,690,000
Cost of sales (100,108) (50,186) (149,000)
Staff costs (549,741) (499,221) (1,002,000)
Depreciation and (11,447) (34,611) (26,000)
write offs
Other operating (395,216) (410,795) (914,000)
charges
-------- -------- --------
Total expenses (1,056,512) (994,813) (2,091,000)
-------- -------- --------
Operating loss (130,799) (228,242) (401,000)
Interest receivable 124 42 -
Interest payable (8,482) (7,880) (14,000)
-------- -------- --------
Loss on ordinary
activities
before taxation (139,157) (236,080) (415,000)
Taxation - - -
Prior Year
Adjustment 55,800 - -
-------- -------- --------
Retained loss for the
period (83,357) (236,080) (415,000)
======== ======== ========
Loss per share -
basic and diluted 3 (0.16)p (0.61)p (0.91)p
======== ======== ========
Balance sheet
As at 30th June, 2003
As at As at 12 months ended
30th June 2003 30th June 2002 31st December
(unaudited) (unaudited) 2002
(audited)
£ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets 49,100 43,393 52,992
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments 368,288 328,052 316,277
Cash at bank and in hand 1,804 4,586 12,948
-------- -------- --------
370,092 332,638 329,225
Creditors
Trade creditors (277,389) (202,873) (189,887)
Loans and overdrafts (270,242) (57,582) (203,831)
Accruals (74,665) (71,202) (105,510)
Finance leases (184) (4,943) (1,981)
Other taxation and social
security (62,124) (33,145) (63,063)
-------- -------- --------
(684,604) (369,745) (564,272)
Net current liabilities (314,512) (37,107) (235,047)
Total assets less current
liabilities (265,412) 6,286 (182,055)
Creditors - amounts falling
due after more than one
year: finance leases - (184) -
-------- -------- --------
Net assets (265,412) 6,102 (182,055)
======== ======== ========
Capital and reserves
Called up Share capital 527,897 527,897 527,897
Share premium account 2,158,217 2,168,217 2,158,217
Profit and loss account (2,951,526) (2,690,012) (2,868,169)
-------- -------- --------
Equity shareholders' funds (265,412) 6,102 (182,055)
======== ======== ========
Notes to the Interim Results
1. Basis of preparation
The Interim Accounts for the six months ended 30th June 2003 are unaudited and
do not constitute statutory accounts in accordance with section 240 of the
Companies Act 1985.
2. Dividends
No dividend is proposed for the six months ended 30th June 2003.
3. Loss per share
The basic loss per share has been calculated by dividing the retained loss for
the period of £83,357 by the weighted average number of ordinary shares of
52,789,709 in issue during the period. The diluted loss per share is the same as
the basic loss per share, in accordance with FRS 14 which prescribes that
potential ordinary shares should only be used as dilutive when, and only when,
their conversion to ordinary shares would decrease net profit or increase net
loss per share from continuing operations.
4. Copies of Interim Results
Copies of the Interim Results will be sent to shareholders shortly and will be
available to members of the public from the Company's registered office, Unit
611, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1TL. Full accounts for
the period ended 31 December 2002, on which the auditors gave an unqualified
report and contained no statement under Section 237 (2) or (3) of the Companies
Act 1985, have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies.
Enquiries
Totally Plc
Steve Burns Tel: 020 7692 6929
John East & Partners Limited
David Worlidge Tel: 020 7628 2200
Simon Clements
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange