Online marketplace system and method

Abstract

A computerized online marketplace that facilitates the acquisition of funding and services for the development and operation of an online business. It provides a variety of investment opportunities for investors and facilitates an entrepreneur's acquisition of capital as well as skills and services needed to start an online business. Possible investment channels for potential investors comprise: money; skills; and services. Investors are awarded investment points for monetary and non-monetary investments and are compensated according to their points. Monetary compensation is awarded periodically to investors according to their rank in relation to the respective investor base of a given business entity. Businesses are hosted at the online marketplace and all aspects of investment and operations are managed through the marketplace thereby facilitating interactions between all parties involved in business initiation, development and operation, including customers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized method for deriving a compensation distribution pattern for a plurality of investors in a collaborative enterprise comprising:
 at a computer server:   (A) creating a ranking of investors according to an investment point numeric value;   (B) defining a set of parameters to govern said compensation distribution including:
 (1) neighborhood performance index parameters; 
 (2) dynamid parameters; 
 (3) macro-level justification parameters; 
 (4) micro-level justification parameters; and 
 (5) a penalty rule set to compare transformed neighborhood performance index values and to calculate penalties; 
   (C) calculating, normalizing and transforming neighborhood performance indices for each investor in said plurality of investors;   (D) organizing said plurality of investors in the form of a multi-level marketing pyramid according to:
 (1) each investor's rank; 
 (2) each investor's neighborhood performance index; and 
 (3) said dynamid parameters; 
   (E) accomplishing multiple levels of justification to compensation calculation wherein said multiple levels of justification comprise:
 (1) a macro-level justification based on investor's macro-level performance indicator—rank; 
 (2) at least one round of micro-level justification with defined neighborhood value based on investor's micro-level performance indicator—transformed neighborhood performance index; and 
 (3) a final justification based on checking calculated compensations. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein calculating said neighborhood performance index comprises deriving said investor's micro-level investment point performance in the defined neighborhood. 
     
     
         3 . The computerized method of  claim 2  wherein normalizing and transforming said neighborhood performance index comprises enabling comparison of individual micro-level performances of said plurality of investors. 
     
     
         4 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein accomplishing said multiple levels of justification for compensation calculation comprise:
 (1) dynamic structuring of an MLM pyramid; 
 (2) shared parentage of nodes in an MLM pyramid; and 
 (3) non-integral child nodes in an MLM pyramid. 
 
     
     
         5 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein accomplishing said micro-level justification comprises:
 (1) calculating individual investor penalties using said penalty rule set; 
 (2) applying penalties to said plurality of investors; and 
 (3) distributing the penalty amount back to said plurality of investors based on defined micro-justification strategy. 
 
     
     
         6 . The computerized method of  claim 5  wherein said micro-level justification strategy is selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) benefit higher ranking subscribers over lower ranking subscribers; 
 (2) benefit lower ranking subscribers over higher ranking subscribers; 
 (3) balanced distribution of compensation among high and low ranking subscribers; and 
 (4) partially balanced and partially benefiting higher ranking subscribers.