A survey from Virtual Vocations sheds light on the priorities and challenges of 500 professionals with firsthand freelancing experience or an interest in exploring freelance work. The results highlight a growing demand for flexibility and career autonomy, revealing how freelancing is shaping modern career choices.

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Virtual Vocations, a leading remote job board and career services provider, has released the results of its first freelancing survey, providing exclusive insights into the experiences and preferences of current or former freelancers as well as workers who may be curious about self-employment. Based on responses from 500 workers, the report emphasizes a strong desire for career independence.

Key Findings from the 2024 Freelancing Survey:

Freelancing Experience: Around two-thirds of workers have direct experience with freelancing.Work-Life Balance: 73% of current and former freelancers rate their work-life balance as a six or higher on a scale of 0–10, while only 58% of workers without freelancing experience feel the same about their work-life balance.Freelancing as a Side Hustle: Among active freelancers, 18% work full-time while freelancing as a side hustle. For former freelancers, 39% worked full-time while freelancing on the side.Primary Income Source: 35% of active freelancers rely on freelance work as their main source of income.Top Motivation for Freelancing: Better job flexibility, including the ability to work from home, is the primary reason respondents choose to freelance. Even workers without freelancing experience cite flexibility as the key motivator to try freelancing.Challenges for Former Freelancers: Inconsistent job opportunities were the top reason for leaving freelancing. Despite this, 88% of former freelancers are open to returning to freelancing.Support Networks: 64% of former freelancers reported lacking strong support networks during their freelancing careers. Approximately 60% believe that being part of strong freelancer communities could have encouraged them to continue freelancing.The Future of Freelancing: 42% of active freelancers plan to continue freelancing indefinitely, stating they could not imagine working within a traditional employment model.

“These findings reflect a workforce that’s increasingly focused on work-life balance and self-determination,” said Laura Spawn, CEO and Co-Founder of Virtual Vocations. “At Virtual Vocations, we’re committed to supporting freelancers by connecting them with quality remote opportunities and providing resources to navigate the unique challenges of freelancing.”

For a comprehensive breakdown of Virtual Vocations’ freelancing survey results, visit the Virtual Vocations blog here: https://www.virtualvocations.com/blog/annual-statistical-remote-work-reports/freelancing-survey-results-500-workers-polled-job-flexibility-and-career-freedom/.

ABOUT VIRTUAL VOCATIONS
Founded in 2007 by CEO Laura Spawn and her brother, CTO Adam Stevenson, Virtual Vocations is a small company with a big mission: to connect jobseekers with legitimate remote job openings. To date, Virtual Vocations has helped more than four million jobseekers in their quests for flexible, remote work.

In addition to providing a database of current, hand-screened, and 100% remote job openings, Virtual Vocations offers jobseekers a number of tools to aid in their job searches, including exclusive career courses, downloadable jobseeker content, and career coaching and resume writing services. Virtual Vocations also releases several data-driven reports each year on current trends in remote work.

Virtual Vocations, Inc. is a private, family-owned, and 100% virtual company incorporated in Tucson, Arizona.

Media Contact

Kimberly Back, Virtual Vocations, Inc., 1 (800) 379-5092 x. 703, kim@virtualvocations.com, https://www.virtualvocations.com

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SOURCE Virtual Vocations, Inc.

SHANGHAI, Dec. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Boqii Holding Limited (“We,” “Boqii” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: BQ), a leading pet-focused platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first half of fiscal 2025 (i.e., the six months ended September 30, 2024).

Fiscal 2025 First Half Operational and Financial Highlights

Total revenues were RMB249.7 million (US$35.6 million), compared to RMB389.4 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

Loss from operations was RMB27.0 million (US$3.9 million), representing a decrease of 14.7% from RMB31.7 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Net loss was RMB29.6 million (US$4.2 million), representing a decrease of 21.6% from RMB37.7 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

Diluted net loss per share was RMB0.28 (US$0.04), representing a decrease of 46.7% from diluted net loss per share of RMB0.52 for the first half of fiscal 2024.

EBITDA[1] was a loss of RMB25.0 million (US$3.6 million), representing a decrease of 25.4% from a loss of RMB 33.5 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

Total GMV[2] was RMB538.2 million (US$76.7 million), compared to RMB903.0 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

CEO & CFO Quote

Mr. Hao Liang, Boqii’s Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, “Despite persistently pessimistic social expectations and increasingly weak consumption in the first half of fiscal 2025, we have demonstrated our resilience. Our private labels are riding a wave of thriving development, showing the effectiveness of our strategic focus on that area. The number of SKUs for our private labels has increased from 3,088 in the first half of fiscal 2024 to 3,546 in the firt half of fiscal 2025, the revenue share of our private labels increased from 27.5% to 29.0%, and we also saw the gross margin of our private labels rose by 330 basis points from 29.9% to 33.2%. This gives us a strong foundation and we remain energized for the future.”

Ms. Yingzhi (Lisa) Tang, Boqii’s Co-Founder, Co-CEO and CFO commented, “Besides fostering the progress of our private labels, we have implemented cost-saving measures and enhanced efficiency by optimizing our supply chain operations and simplifying our organizational hierarchy in the first half of fiscal 2025. The implementation of these measures has resulted in a reduction of our fulfillment expenses as a percentage of total revenue, from 8.9% in the first half of fiscal 2024 to 7.5% in the first half of fiscal 2025. This reduction has underpinned a positive shift in our post-fulfillment profit margin, which saw an increase from 11.2% to 13.3%. Furthermore, there has been a notable decrease in our sales and marketing expenses by 21.3% and our general and administrative expenses by 22.5%, when compared to the corresponding period in fiscal 2024. These adjustments have collectively contributed to a 21.6% decrease in our net loss. We believe the strengthening of our financial results affirms that our business approach and strategic initiatives are effectively aligned with our goals, and we are committed to generating ongoing value for our consumers and investors alike in the time ahead.”

Fiscal 2025 First Half Financial Results

Total revenues were RMB249.7 million (US$35.6 million), compared to RMB389.4 million for the first half of fiscal 2024. The decrease was a result of our business strategy to focus more on increasing profitability instead of volume of sales.

Gross profit was RMB51.7 million (US$7.4 million), compared to RMB77.9 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Gross margin was 20.7%, representing an increase of 70 basis points from 20.0% for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Operating expenses were RMB79.3 million (US$11.3 million), representing a decrease of 29.3% from RMB112.0 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Fulfillment expenses were RMB18.6 million (US$2.7 million), representing a decrease of 46.0% from RMB34.5 million for the first half of fiscal 2024, which is primarily due to the decrease in shipping and warehousing expenses, resulting from more utilization of fulfillment centers. Fulfillment expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 7.5%, down from 8.9% for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB35.8 million (US$5.1 million), representing a decrease of 21.3% from RMB45.4 million for the first half of fiscal 2024. The decrease was primarily due to (i) the decrease in advertising expenses of RMB1.0 million, as a result of cost-saving efforts; (ii) the decrease in third-party commisions of RMB3.2 million as a result of decline in revenues; and (iii) the decrease in staff costs of RMB4.4 million related to the employee layoffs.

General and administrative expenses were RMB24.9 million (US$3.6 million), representing a decrease of 22.5% from RMB32.2 million for the first half of fiscal 2024. The decrease was primarily due to (i) the decrease in professional fees amount to RMB2.1 million, resulting from less financing transactions in the first half of fiscal 2025, (ii) the decrease in allowance for expected credit losses of RMB2.5 million, and (iii) the decrease in staff costs of RMB2.0 million related to the employee layoffs.

Loss from operations was RMB27.0 million (US$3.9 million), representing a decrease of 14.7% from RMB31.7 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Net loss was RMB29.6 million (US$4.2 million), representing a decrease of 21.6% from a loss of RMB37.7 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

EBITDA was a loss of RMB25.0 million (US$3.6 million), representing a decrease of 25.4% from a loss of RMB 33.5 million in the first half of fiscal 2024. See the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information about EBITDA.

Diluted net loss per share was RMB0.28 (US$0.04), representing a decrease of 46.7% from diluted net loss per share of RMB0.52 for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Total cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were RMB46.2 million (US$6.6 million) as of September 30, 2024, compared to RMB72.7 million as of March 31, 2024.

About Boqii Holding Limited

Boqii Holding Limited (NYSE American: BQ) is a leading pet-focused platform in China. The Company is the leading online destination for pet products and supplies in China with its broad selection of high-quality products including global leading brands, local emerging brands, and its own private label, Yoken, Mocare and D-cat, offered at competitive prices. The Company’s online sales platforms, including Boqii Mall and its flagship stores on third-party e-commerce platforms, provide customers with convenient access to a wide selection of high-quality pet products and an engaging and personalized shopping experience. The Company’s Boqii Community provides an informative and interactive content platform for users to share their knowledge and love for pets.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Further information regarding such risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures, namely non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net loss margin, EBITDA and EBITDA margin, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. The Company defines (i) non-GAAP net income/(loss) as net income/(loss) excluding fair value change of derivative liabilities and share-based compensation expenses, (ii) non-GAAP net loss margin as non-GAAP net loss as a percentage of total revenues, (iii) EBITDA as net income/(loss) excluding income tax expenses, interest expenses, interest income, depreciation and amortization, and (iv) EBITDA margin as EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues. The Company believes non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net loss margin, EBITDA and EBITDA margin enhance investors’ overall understanding of its financial performance and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by its management in its financial and operational decision-making.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect the Company’s operations or not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. These non-GAAP financial measures may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies, and they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measures, which should be considered when evaluating the Company’s performance. For reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, please see the section of accompanying tables titled “Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results.” The Company encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on any single financial measure.

Exchange Rate

This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“USD,”or “US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB7.0176 US$1.00, the exchange rate on September 30, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred to could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Boqii Holding Limited
Investor Relations
Tel: +86-21-6882-6051
Email: ir@boqii.com

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SOURCE Boqii Holding Limited

SINGAPORE, Dec. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Tungray Technologies Inc (“Tungray” or the “Company”), a global Engineer-to-Order (ETO) company, today reported its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

First Half 2024 Financial Highlights

Total revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2024 increased by 1.5% to $5.4 million, compared to $5.3 million in the same period of 2023.Gross margin for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was 46.7%, compared to 53.5% for the same period in 2023.Operating loss for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was $0.9 million, compared to an operating income of $0.1 million for the same period in 2023.Net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was $0.8 million, compared to net income of $0.2 million for the same period in 2023.

Recent Developments and Strategic Highlights:

Cost-Cutting Measures:
The Company has implemented targeted cost control actions aimed at reducing expenses, enhancing operational efficiency, and renegotiating supplier contracts.

These actions include:

Identifying and utilizing high-trade volume suppliers.Leveraging volume to negotiate favorable rates for common-use components.

Revenue Enhancement:
To drive sales growth, the Company is exploring potential horizontal strategic partnerships to access new, high-value capabilities.

These initiatives include:

Introducing new lines of business through potential partnerships with existing companies.Utilizing the “market-for-tech” model to leverage Singapore’s hub position for regional business expansion.Exploring technologies and services such as metal 3D printing for precision engineering, standardized manufacturing of medical components, and contract repair work for aviation components, such as aircraft engine fan blades and turbines.Enhancing sales and market penetration by hiring a dedicated business-focused market and sales manager. This initiative will focus on:Increasing market penetration of non-printer related markets in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region.Focusing primarily on the semiconductor, automotive and non-printer related consumer product sectors.

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

During the course of preparing the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company identified misstatements in its previously issued consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2023 as below, and as a result the Company has restated the previously issued consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2023 in accordance with ASC 250 Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, to reflect the effects of the restatement adjustments and to make certain corresponding disclosures.

The categories of adjustments and their impacts on previously issued financial statements are described below and identified in the column entitled “Reference”:

a. The Company failed to record the correct income tax expense, taxes payable and retained earnings due to improper identification of non-deductible expenses which were not detected because of not performing a reconciliation between the financial statements and tax return. Such failure has resulted in the misstatements of “Income tax expense”, “Net income attributable to Tungray Technologies Inc”, and “Foreign currency translation adjustment” for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The impact to the accumulated other comprehensive loss and foreign currency translation adjustment was a result of the foreign currency translation difference to the misstatement.

b. The Company failed to take the purchase option into consideration for the finance lease and used the incorrect useful life for the assets amortization. Such failure has resulted in the misstatement of “Cost of revenue”, “Net income attributable to Tungray Technologies Inc” and “Foreign currency translation adjustment” for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The impact to the accumulated other comprehensive loss and foreign currency translation adjustment was a result of the foreign currency translation difference to the misstatement.

The effects of restatement adjustments to the line items are as below:

Management Commentary

Mr. Wanjun Yao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tungray, commented, “This year, we faced challenges that impacted our year-over-year performance, particularly in revenue growth and profit margins. To remain viable amidst the price competition, we are implementing aggressive cost-cutting measures and seeking efficiencies in production. In addition, to complement our cost-cutting measures, we are also exploring new revenue streams and focusing on higher-margin products to improve profitability.”

“Despite significant headwinds from fierce price competition, our commitment to innovation and quality improvements remains unchanged, and we remain focused on delivering sustainable growth and innovation as our long-term strategy. During this reporting period, we expensed $0.4 million in R&D expenses, a slight increase compared to the same period last year. We are confident that our ongoing initiatives will position us well when market conditions improve.”

“As we move forward, we are dedicated to adapting to the evolving market landscape. To enhance Tungray’s business portfolio and adapt to high-growth markets, we are actively exploring 3D metal printing solutions tailored for high-end sectors such as commercial aviation, offshore marine, and oil & gas industries in which Singapore serves as a strategic hub. We believe potential expansion into 3D metal printing will complement our current product and service offerings and positions us to compete well in the provision of advanced, precision-engineered components. We are confident that this strategic initiative will elevate Tungray’s market presence, generate new revenue streams, and ultimately create greater value for our shareholders. We anticipate that the steps we’re taking now will yield improvements and help us return to a sustained growth trajectory in the upcoming years.”

First Half 2024 Financial Results

Total Revenues

Total revenues increased slightly by 1.5% to $5.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to $5.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Revenues from customized products increased by $0.5 million or 11.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, primarily driven by the delivery of a major customization project during the period.Revenues from standardized products decreased by $0.4 million, or 30.5% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, mainly due to the impact of increasing industry competition resulting in lower sales pricing.

Cost of Revenues

Total costs increased by 16.2% to $2.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to $2.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. 

The cost of revenues for customized products rose by $0.6 million, or 31.3% for the same period ended June 30, 2024, in line with the revenue increase.The cost of revenues for standardized products decreased by $0.2 million, or 21.1% for the same period ended June 30, 2024, corresponding with the revenue decline due to increased industry competition.

Gross Profit

Gross profit was $2.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing a decrease of 11.4% year over year from $2.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Gross margin was 46.7% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to 53.5% for the same period in 2023. The decrease in gross profit and gross margin was mainly due to the increase of raw materials and labor costs.

Gross profit for customized products was $2.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, a decrease of 3.6% as compared to $2.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Gross margin for customized products was 48.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and 56.3% for the six months ended June 30, 2023.Gross profit for standardized products was $0.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, a decrease of 42.1% as compared to $0.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Gross margin for standardized products was 37.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and 44.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses were $3.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, representing an increase of 26.5% year over year from $2.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Selling expenses increased by $0.1 million or 38.8% from $0.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to $0.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. The increase was mainly due to an increase of advertisement expense for business expansion.General and administrative expenses increased by $0.6 million or 29.8% from $2.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to $2.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. The increase was mainly attributed to a $0.5 million increase in salary and benefits for talent retention, as well as a $0.1 million increase in professional service fee related to the Company’s initial public offering during the six months ended June 30, 2024 as compared with the same period last year.R&D expenses increased slightly by 3.8% for the six months ended June 30, 2024 as compared with the same period last year. The increase was consistent with the R&D plan the Company previously set out.

(Loss) Income from operations

Loss from operations was $0.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to income from operations of $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

Other Income, net

Total other income was $0.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.

Income tax expense

Income tax expense increased by approximately $20,000 or 19.6%, from $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 to $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

Net (Loss) Income

Net loss was $0.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to net income of $0.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

About Tungray Technologies Inc

Tungray Technologies Inc is an Engineer-to-Order (ETO) company that provides customized industrial manufacturing solutions to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the semiconductors, printers, electronics, and home appliances industries. With research, development and manufacturing bases in Singapore and China, Tungray designs, develops, and delivers a wide range of industrial products ranging from customized manufacturing machineries, direct drive and linear direct current motors, to induction welding equipment. As an ETO company with more than two decades of experience, Tungray takes pride in its ability to deliver quality customized industrial solutions that fulfil its customers’ unique needs and specifications. For more information, visit the Company’s website at http://tungray.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations:
Bill Zima
Email: tungray@icrinc.com

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SOURCE Tungray Technologies Inc