Hi again,
Simply put, Max In Common was developed on a combined content/networking subscription model. Although not a "network marketer" myself, I do know many people involved in various online business "opportunities" as well as many just trying to get exposure for their personal businesses.
Time and time again I've heard people say they wish they had one central place to get information, network with others, and advertise, instead of going to AOL or similiar to chat, visiting miscellaneous sites and forums to network, and searching through a search engine like Yahoo to find relevant places to advertise.
Max In Common was built to combine all these features. We took all the features of the many community sites we've researched and added much more. Our search directory was built on the Open Directory model, but left "skeletal" with very few commercial sites added in. Our Gold members are encouraged to not only add their own business links, but add all the resource links they use and recommend. This makes the directory, although less "crowded", more valuable as the resources listed are not there just because someone paid Yahoo $249.00 to be there. They can "adopt" up to 5 categories and "monitor" that category, displaying their own graphical ad at the top. They can start their own forums and chat rooms, whether it be about a hobby or business. It builds credibility for them as well as giving them the advertising edge. Regular business owners, network marketers, craftsmen, etc. all can get something from Max. And most of all, it provides one place to do it all. Not bad for $7.95 a month.
Our free members are just as valuable to us, because they provide a larger audience for our paying members. They get a free email address, are able to post in any existing forum, chat in any of the general chat rooms, look up member profiles to find interests in common, etc. Again, one main place to go.
Any online community takes time to build, but if you give people enough reason they'll spread the word. I was fortunate enough to know some big names in several industries who are happily spreading the word to their connections...and so on and so on. Any advertising I do will mainly be geared towards free members, the paid member benefits have been selling themselves.