CONSULTING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
99.2
THIS
CONSULTING AGREEMENT (the
“Agreement”) is made and entered into effective the 26th day of October 2005
(the “Effective Date”) by and between General Investments Capital Ltd. , whose
principal place of business is Harlaw Xxxxxxxx, The Valley, Anguilla, British
West Indies (“Consultant”) and Smart Online, Inc. (the “Client”) whose principal
place of business is 0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
00000.
WHEREAS,
Consultant is in the business of providing services for management consulting
and public relations; and
WHEREAS,
the
Client deems it to be in its best interest to retain Consultant to render
to the
Client such services as may be needed; and
WHEREAS,
Consultant is ready, willing and able to render such consulting and advisory
services to Client.
NOW
THEREFORE,
in
consideration of the mutual promise and covenants set forth in this Agreement,
the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto
agree as follows:
1.
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Consulting
Services.
The Client hereby retains Consultant as an independent consultant
to the
Client and Consultant hereby accepts and agrees to such retention.
It is acknowledged and agreed by the Client
that
Consultant carries no professional licenses and is not rendering
legal
advice or performing accounting services, not acting as an investment
advisor or brokerage/dealer within the meaning of the applicable
state and
federal securities laws. The services of Consultant shall not be
exclusive
nor shall Consultant be required to render any specific number
of hours or
assign specific personnel to the Client or its
projects.
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Consultant
agrees to serve as “Public Relations Representative” to Client and to provide
and/or perform some or all of the following, hereafter collectively referred
to
as the “Services”:
A.
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Work
with Client, its counsel, directors and representatives to assist
in
securing the presentation of the company to the investment
community.
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B.
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Provide
the Company with advice regarding shareholder
relations.
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The
Client hereby agrees to provide Consultant with shareholder lists, including
the
NOBO list to facilitate Consultant contacting shareholders of the
Client.
2.
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Term
of Agreement.
The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date
and
continue in full force and effect until December 31, 2005, subject
to
prior termination as hereinafter provided and may be renewed as
agreed by
both parties.
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3.
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Compensation.
In
providing the foregoing Services, Consultant shall be responsible
for all
costs incurred except the Client will be responsible for mailing
out due
diligence requests and all cost associated with the filing of all
regulatory documents, such as with the Securities and Exchange
Commission
(“SEC”). As fee for the Services to be performed by Consultant, Client
shall issue to Consultant, subject to the approval of Client’s Board of
Directors, (i) $ 250,000, which the Consultant hereby acknowledges
receipt, and (ii) six hundred twenty five thousand (625,000) shares
of
Client’s common stock (the “Shares”) to be registered when the Client
files its next registration statement for selling shareholders,
which is
expected to be a registration statement on Form S-1 expected to
be filed
on or after October 10, 2005. As a condition to inclusion of the
Shares in
the registration statement Consultant also agrees to provide such
information as Client shall reasonably request, and to agree to
the same
covenants agreed to by other selling shareholders whose shares
are
included in the registration
statement.
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4.
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Restricted
Shares.
Consultant is taking the shares for investment purposes and not
with a
view toward distribution and acknowledges that the Shares have
not been
registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) or any applicable
state securities law and that the Shares may not be sold, assigned,
pledged, hypothecated, or transferred, unless there exists an effective
registration statement therefor under the Act and all applicable
state
securities laws or Client has received an opinion of counsel, reasonably
acceptable to counsel for Client, or other reasonable assurances,
that
such sale, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, or transfer is exempt
from
registration and that the stock certificates representing the Shares
will
contain a legend describing these restrictions. Consultant understands
that in the absence of an effective registration statement covering
the
Shares or an exemption therefrom under the Act and all applicable
state
securities laws, the Shares must be held indefinitely. In particular,
Consultant is aware that the Shares may not be sold pursuant to
Rule 144
promulgated under the Act, unless all conditions of Rule 144 are
met.
Among the conditions for the use of Rule 144 may be the availability
of
current and adequate information to the public about Client. Such
information is not now available and Client has no obligation to
make such
information available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no opinion
of
counsel shall be required by Client in connection with the transfer
of the
Shares to an entity that is a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary
of Consultant, provided the entity executes the representations
contained
in this paragraph. Consultant further agrees that as a condition
to
inclusion of the Shares on a registration statement as provided
in
Paragraph 3 above, Consultant will not transfer the Shares until
the
receipt of notice from Client that the registration statement is
effective, notwithstanding that an exemption from registration
may be
available for the transfer. Thereafter, sales may be made under
the
registration statement unless Client informs Consultant that the
registration omits material information or is no longer
effective.
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5. |
Dribble-Out”
Agreement.
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A.
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Consultant
hereby agrees that, except as permitted under subsection (c) of
this
Section, during the Dribble Out Period, as defined herein, Client
will
not:
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i.
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Sell
any of the Securities or other securities of the Client or Holding
Company
received on account of ownership of the Securities (the “Dribble-Out
Securities”).
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ii.
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Transfer,
assign or otherwise dispose of any of the Dribble-Out
Securities.
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iii.
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Pledge,
hypothecate or otherwise create a lien on any of the Lock-Up
Securities.
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iv.
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Loan
to any person or entity any shares or other securities of the Client
or
Holding Company.
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v.
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Sell
short any shares or other securities of the Client or Holding
Company.
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vi.
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Acquire
a put option or grant a call option with respect to any shares
or other
securities of the Client or Holding
Company.
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vii.
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Enter
into any agreement concerning any of the foregoing transactions,
or
otherwise facilitate any other person conducting any of the foregoing
transactions.
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B.
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For
purposes of this Section, Holding Company shall mean any company
whose
stock is publicly traded (i) with which the Client merges or consolidates
or (ii) of which the Client or its successor becomes a subsidiary.
For
purposes of this Section, the Dribble Out Period shall mean the
period
beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending six (6) months
after
the effective date of the first registration statement of the Client
that
registers for resale the Dribble-Out Securities (the “Effective Date”).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after the Effective Date Consultant
may
sell (if permitted under a registration statement), during any
rolling
thirty-day period during the Dribble Out Period, up to 25% of the
Dribble-Out Securities owned by Consultant on the Effective Date.
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C. |
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, provided the transferee first signs
an agreement on substantially the terms set forth herein and reasonably
acceptable to the Client or Holding Company, Consultant may transfer
securities of the Client or Holding Company without payment or
other
consideration: (i) if consultant is an individual, to any family
member,
(ii) if Consultant is a corporation, to any direct or indirect
parent or
subsidiary or any shareholder of Consultant, (iii) if Consultant
is a
partnership, to any partner of Consultant, (iv) if Consultant is
a limited
liability company, to any member of Consultant, and (v) if Consultant
is a
trust, to any beneficiary of such
trust.
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D.
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Consultant
further agrees that before and after termination of the Dribble
Out
Period, Consultant will comply with all securities laws, rules
and
regulations when purchasing or reselling securities of the Client
or
Holding Company, including, without limitation, those prohibiting
sales
and purchases of securities while in possession of material nonpublic
information.
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E.
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The
Dribble-Out Securities of Consultant shall have a legend in form
and
substance acceptable to the Client and Holding Company referring
to the
restrictions of this Agreement and the Client or Holding Company
may
instruct the transfer agent of the Client or Holding Company to
stop any
transfer of any securities in violation of this Agreement and may
take any
other action required to avoid violation of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, obtaining an
injunction.
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F.
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The
provisions of this Section shall continue in effect after the Dribble-Out
Securities are registered.
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G.
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Stop
Transfer Instructions.
Consultant agrees that the Client may issue instructions to its
transfer
agent that prohibit transfer in violation of this
Agreement.
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H.
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Legends.
The Client may place a legend on the Dribble Out Securities referring
to
the restrictions contained in this
Agreement.
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6.
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Regulatory
Compliance.
The Client represents that it is in compliance with all applicable
material SEC reporting and accounting requirements and all material
applicable requirements of the NASD or any stock exchange. The
Client
further represents that it has not been and is not the subject
of any
enforcement proceeding or injunction by the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any state securities
agency.
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7.
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Legal
Compliance. Consultant
hereby represents that it has in place policies and procedures
relating
to, and addressing, the commercially reasonable intent to ensure
compliance with, applicable securities laws, rules and relations,
including, but not limited to:
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A.
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The
use, release or other publication of forward-looking statements
within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21 E of
the
Exchange Act.
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B.
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Disclosure
requirements outlined in Section 17B of the Exchange Act regarding
the
required disclosure of the nature and terms of Consultant’s relationship
with CLIENT in any and all Consultant literature or other communication(s)
relating to CLIENT, including, but not limited to: Press Releases,
letters
to investors and telephone or other personal communication(s) with
potential or current investors.
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8.
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Confidentiality.
The Client and Consultant agree that the work of Consultant does
not
require Consultant to possess either (i) material non-public information
(as such term is defined under applicable federal securities laws)
or (ii)
confidential information of the Client and its affiliates that
are
valuable, special and unique assets and property of the Client
and such
affiliates, including the names of shareholders of the Client
(collectively, “Confidential Information”). Consultant further hereby
agrees and covenants that should it possess any Confidential
Information:
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A. |
Consultant
will not make any purchases or sales in the stock of Client based
on such
Confidential Information.
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B. |
Consultant
will use its commercially reasonable efforts to safeguard and prevent
the
dissemination of such Confidential Information to third parties
unless
authorized in writing by Client to do so and as may be necessary
in the
performance of the Services under this Agreement. Notwithstanding
anything
to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Consultant shall only
include
in its communications with the press, potential or current investors,
or
any other person or entity information regarding the Client that
is
available to the public.
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C.
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Consultant
will not, in any way, utilize or otherwise include such Confidential
Information, in actual form or in substantive content, in its analysis
for, preparation of or release of any confidential literature or
other
information relating to Client, including but not limited to: press
releases, letters to investors and telephone or other personal
communication(s) with potential or current
investors.
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D.
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Consultant
will not, during the term of this Agreement, disclose, without
prior
written consent or authorization of the Client, any of such Confidential
Information to any person, for any reason or purpose whatsoever.
In this
regard, the Client agrees that such authorization or consent may
be
conditioned upon the disclosure being made pursuant to a secrecy
agreement, protective order, provision of statute, rule, regulation
or
procedure under which the confidentiality of the Confidential Information
is maintained in the hands of the person to whom the Confidential
Information is to be disclosed or its compliance with the terms
of a
judicial order or administrative
process.
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9. |
Termination.
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A. |
Consultant’s
relationship with the Client hereunder may be terminated for any
reason
whatsoever, at any time, by either party, upon three (3) days written
prior notice.
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B. |
This
Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the dissolution, bankruptcy
or insolvency of the Client or
Consultant.
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C. |
This
Agreement may be terminated by either party upon giving written
notice to
the other party if the other party is in default hereunder and
such
default is not cured within three (3) days of receipt of written
notice of
such default.
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D. |
Consultant
and Client shall the right and discretion to terminate this Agreement
should the other party in performing their duties hereunder, violate
any
law, ordinance, permit or regulation of any governmental entity,
except
the violations which either singularly or in the aggregate do not
have or
will not have a material adverse effect on the operations of the
Client.
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E.
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In
the event of any termination hereunder all shares or funds paid
to the
Consultant through the parties shall have no further responsibilities
to
each other except that the Client shall be responsible to make
to
Consultant all payments due and owing under Section 3 of this Agreement
and Consultant shall be responsible for complying with the provisions
of
Sections 4, 5, 7 and 8 hereof.
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10. |
Conflict
of Interest. The
Consultant shall be free to perform services for other persons.
The
Consultant will notify the Client if its performance of consultant
services for any other person which could conflict with its obligations
under the Agreement. Upon receiving such notice, the Client may
terminate
the Agreement or consent to Consultant’s outside consulting
services.
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11. |
Disclaimer
of Responsibility for Act of the Client.
In the event shall Consultant be required by this Agreement to
represent
or make management decisions for the Client, Consultant shall under
no
circumstances be liable for any expense incurred or loss suffered
by the
Client as a consequence of such decisions, made by the Client or
any
affiliates or subsidiaries of the
Client.
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12. |
Severability.
All agreements and covenants contained herein are severable, and
in the
event any of them shall be held to be invalid by any competent
court, the
Agreement shall be interpreted as if such invalid agreement or
covenant
was not contained herein.
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13. |
Entire
Agreement. This
Agreement constitutes and embodies the entire understanding and
agreement
of the parties and supercedes and replaces all other or prior
understandings, agreements and negations between the
parties.
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EXECUTION
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
the
parties have executed and delivered this Agreement, effective as of the date
set
forth above.
CONSULTANT
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CLIENT
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General
Investments Capital (GIC) Ltd.
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Smart
Online, Inc.
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/s/
Gabriella Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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/s/
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
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Name:
Gabriella Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
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Title:
President
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Title:
CEO, President
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Dated:
October 26, 2005
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Dated:
October 26, 2005
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