Last Updated on January 10, 2022 by James McAllister

By: James McAllister

18 Comments

Before you stop and check your calendar, let me tell you – yes, I am publishing this post three months into the year. Yes, 2015 is already one quarter over. Yes, most other bloggers published these types of posts at the beginning of the year.

So why the heck am I just getting around to it now?

Well, these past few months I have been extremely busy building up the back-end of my business. This means building and tweaking my email newsletter and autoresponder sequence to increase conversions. While I’ll still be continuing to do this (and probably always will) I’ve finished the bulk of it and now have much more time to dedicate towards other areas.

On top of that, I have recently finished my largest book yet – The Young Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business, Finance, and Life, which is selling well and has been loved by almost everybody who’s read it. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading this honest review of the book on Joy Healey’s website.

Finally, I’ve been automating a lot of tasks that previously required my presence by utilizing tools such as HootSuite.

Many of you know that I am a workaholic and always like to fill time with more work. This is great news for everybody, because it means I can provide more to you by starting other projects. Now that I loosely know what my schedule will be like for this year, here’s what you can expect from me throughout the rest of 2015:

The Help Start My Site Podcast!

Here’s something I never thought I’d say – I’ll be starting a podcast in the very near future! Admittedly, I did run a test podcast about a month ago but I did not publish it anywhere, with the exception of one brief clip which is available on my YouTube channel.

There are a few good reasons why I’ve been wanting to start a real podcast, so here they are in no particular order.:

  • Value. I want to provide even more value to my website visitors. Those who are on my email newsletter know that I like to be very involved with my engaged readers, which is exactly why I email so frequently. Providing a podcast will allow me to connect and engage with my readers even further, which is something I’m always looking forward to doing.
  • Trust. Many people find it easier to connect with people they can actually hear. I do try to add my own voice to my writing, but it’s not nearly as powerful as actually being able to hear my voice.  When people trust me more, they are more likely to buy from me. Help Start My Site is a business, and the goal of a business is to make money. A podcast will help me achieve this, and I would be lying if I said that money was not one incentive for pursuing this project.podcast
  • Traffic. Podcasts are a great way to attract new visitors and build your email list. If I am able to provide a ton of value for my podcast listeners, than I’m willing to bet you a good chunk of them will visit my website to see more of what I have to offer. I’m always looking to expand into areas that other people aren’t bothering to work in, so a podcast will allow me to connect with an entirely new set of people.
  • Authority. What blogger doesn’t want to be perceived as an authority in their niche? By taking the time to go above and beyond what other bloggers in my niche are doing, I’m willing to bet you that podcasting will help me grow as an authoritative figure in the blogging space.

A Few More Details…

I do not want to give away a ton right now, but my plan for the podcast is pretty simple. I will publish one episode every Friday for the foreseeable future. While I do not have podcasting experience and I’m certain my first few episodes really won’t be all that great, I’m not one to give up on projects. I am in this for the long-term, and I plan on podcasting consistently for years to come.

As far as podcasting content goes, my ideas are not yet finalized. One thing is for certain – while the podcast will have some sort of structure, it’s going to be pretty laid back. I want to have fun with this, and I want you to have fun listening to it.

Additionally, the content within the podcast will NOT be the same content that’s available on my site.

I am planning to launch this podcast within a month, and will provide more information when that time comes!

Multiple Video Courses

At this point in time, the only real products that I have created have been books. Despite having created five books to date, only two of them are actually in my name and are available for sale here. While I’m going to continue writing books for the foreseeable future, I also want to begin creating educational video courses.

I have been saying this for a long time, but I think we are in a student loan / higher education bubble this is inevitably going to pop. People will begin to wake up and realize that any benefit of going to college is bound to be nullified by the mountain of debt that follows. As a result, I believe more and more people will turn to online education for niche subjects that will not only be of much higher quality than a traditional college course, but cheaper as well.

I believe self-teaching is the next big thing and I want to get in on it. I currently have three courses planned just for this year.

1. Blogging For Profit 

The first course I plan to release is aimed for complete beginners who are new to blogging, and wish to begin doing so with the goal of making money. This course will cover a lot of the same topics I talk about in my book, Blogging for Profit: A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Your Very Own Web Business! but will go into a bit more detail about it all and of course, will have video to actually show you how to do things. Expect this course to be released within 2-3 months.

2. Kindle / eBook Publishingicon-156756_1280

Having published 5 books on Kindle so far with more on the way, I’ve learned a lot about what goes into making a great Kindle book. This course will cover everything from choosing a topic, to aiding you in the writing process, to formatting, to launching successfully as more. I even plan on creating a section on outsourcing the entire process for those who would rather pay somebody else to create their books for them.

This is going to be a very large course and I expect it to be completed later this year. This course will be designed for serious Kindle publishers, and I may or may not create an eBook on the same topic that does not dive into Kindle publishing so extensively, for those looking to see if self-publishing is right for them.

3. Personal Finance

Personal finance is a topic I have a ton of interest in, but only scratched the basics in The Young Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business, Finance, and Life. I do have plenty of ideas to make this course stand out from the others that are available, but I would prefer to keep those quiet for now as this project will not even be started for a while. It is coming, though.

I do have ideas for other courses, but I can only put out courses so quickly. I’m not one to put out junk, so I want to make sure I have the time to make each of my projects great.

If Conditions Are Right, I May Open A Membership Site

This one is a big if, because I am already taking on a lot of projects this year.

However, if it doesn’t happen this year, than next year I will be launching a members area here on Help Start My Site. This won’t take anything away from the regular stuff I put on here, but it will offer even more to those who are very serious about building their business.

I will talk more about what the membership site will actually contain when the time comes, but there will be various tiers that grant additional benefits. The highest tier will give unlimited access to all of my products as well as weekly group coaching.

Again, this is great news because it will not take anything away from what’s here now. It will only provide more to those who want it.

A Brief Message To Other MMO/Blogging Bloggers…

While this only applies to a small portion of my total audience, a good portion of my commenters is other make money online / blogging bloggers. I have to say that I’d love to work with some of you on some of these projects. I would much rather be your partner than your competitor. Understand however that if you decide to compete with me, I will be working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to blow you out of the water.

This is great for the consumer because it will force you to up your game. I aim to set new standards for authority blogging and let me tell you, I’m pretty good about achieving the goals I set for myself.

Conclusion

You’re here reading this now, which means we have already connected in some way. I’m very thankful for that! I do have one quick favor to ask you though, because I need something from you.

I need you to give your honest feedback on each of these ideas. Which ideas interest you the most? What suggestions do you have? How can I make 2015 an awesome year for both of us?

Please let me know any thoughts, ideas, or opinions you have. I am open to anything. Leave a comment and let me know what you have to say, or email me if you’d prefer to keep it private. I really do value your thoughts.

Finally, if you haven’t already signed up for my email newsletter, I highly recommend doing so right now. Not only do my email subscribers get insider information on everything I’m doing, they also get exclusive coupons for the products I release as well as other exclusive bonuses. You won’t want to miss out, so sign up now!

Thanks for taking the time to read over this, and I can’t wait for what’s in store for us!

About the author 

James McAllister

James is the owner of JamesMcAllisterOnline.com. He started his first blog at the age of 11, and has since gone on to start several successful businesses. In total, these businesses have sold hundreds of thousands of units and have touched millions of lives. Here on JamesMcAllisterOnline.com, he shares his knowledge that brought him to where he is today. If you want to connect with James, follow him on your favorite social networks!

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  1. Hi James,

    I have no doubt that you will be adding so much value once again in different areas. Podcasts are hot right now. People love to download and listen to them when they are on the treadmill, or doing other tasks.

    I do think that rolling out with a digital product is well worth your time and effort. Releasing the video course is a great idea because you can reach more people in so many ways. They will get a chance to see you ..building the KLT factor. Another great thing about that is people like video courses! You can lead them into a step by step way via a keynote or whatever to make it easy for them to apply and reach goals they want to.

    When it comes to a membership site…that’s where it all happens. People will pay a monthly charge to be there and they will have a chance not only to have your products and information there, but also be part of a member. It works well because if you set it up whereby they can have access to you at certain times, they will appreciate it.

    I have one and love to engage with those who are really working hard at their business. These folks on my membership site have the ability to contact me directly and they appreciate it. It is all how you want to structure it. I’m sure you can make it a bit hit with all your knowledge.

    Very excited for the coming future with you,

    -Donna

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    1. Hi Donna!

      Yeah, I really wanted to expand into other areas and beginning working in places that other people aren’t bothering to enter into. That’s how we get an entirely new set of people discover us right?

      I love the books I’ve written but I do think video courses are the next big thing and while I’ll continue to write new books, I want to launch some courses as well. Always good to diversify.

      As far as a membership goes, I really, really love recurring revenue and I know a membership site would be a great way to provide even more for those who want it. I may have some questions for you when that time comes, honestly it’s just an idea and I haven’t researched too much into it. I am certain that one day it will come, though.

      Appreciate your insight Donna!

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  2. Hi James,

    Congrats! Happy that the grass ain’t growing green under your feet 😉 I’m looking forward to the podcast and your eBooks and all things you’re sharing with us today. Awesome move on KDP. I speak to top earners on Amazon and all point to the power of good old KDP Select, because even though your books will be exclusive to this platform they’ll get in the hands of so many folks in such a short amount of time, it makes perfect sense. I did the KDP Select thing 3 weeks back on Amazon and felt that little bit of extra clarity benefitted me because hey, I’m already writing another eBook after my last one went live on Friday 😉

    Thanks James!

    Tweeting from Bali.

    Ryan

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    1. Hey Ryan!

      Haha I would never let that happen. When I get time to relax I’d much rather fill it by creating something new, I’m always looking to expand and improve. That’s how we grow, right?

      I considered KDP select for a while and actually use it for one of my books that’s written under a pen name, but I couldn’t justify it for the books I sell on here. 90% of my sales come from my autoresponder and Selz lets me keep way more money, not to mention I can put affiliate links in that edition of the book. I know KDP Select works great for some people, and I’m sure it’s working very well for you because you have such a large collection of eBooks and a great brand. For me, it’s not the best option now but who’s to say that won’t change in the future?

      In any case, I appreciate your addition to this post, always nice to hear from you.

      Thanks Ryan!

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  3. Hi James.

    Good luck with all of this. It will be difficult working on so many things, but I’m sure you can do it.

    I planned to release a podcast myself for many months now. It’s time consuming to research it all, and even with all the equipment in place, I can’t find the time to actually get it up and running.

    All the best for your plans dude.

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    1. Hey Richard!

      I appreciate your support. I recorded the first two episodes of the podcast today and let me tell you… it wasn’t easy! But hey, if it were easy everybody would be doing it right?

      It took me about four hours to plan out and record just 40 minutes of audio. I still have to go through and edit it a bit as well… not to mention find someone to design the cover at and intro/outro.

      Hopefully I’ll get this all sorted out and I’ll be able to help you out in the future if you ever get around to it. Of course, at this moment in time I barely am managing it myself so I’m in no position to give advice yet hahaha.

      Thanks for stopping by Richard!

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  4. Hi James

    Much impressed by the awesomeness of your plan for 2015 and am dead sure you will make it happen and this I am saying on the basis of my being in connect with you for awhile and I always see you as a doer first.

    The idea of podcast is great and will work more than other ideas. Its biggest reason is people’s wish to learn more while being engaged in their regular chores.

    Now that era has gone when people used to work step by step. Now they want to do several chores at a time. I never forget to take hand-free with my iphone while going on morning walk and listen my favorite podcasts and your will also be in the list very soon.

    I sometime do think to expand my manufacturing activity but owning to my heavy engagements in blogging consultancy I have to contain myself up to a limit. But after reading your post will revisit my plan to make it a little more robust.

    Thanks a lot for sharing such important info with us that shows how deeply you believe in fair competition and believes in excellence to be prominent.

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    1. Hi Mi Muba!

      I agree, podcasts are making a huge comeback and I’m glad to be a part of it. I defintiely want to get that up and running first, as I know I’ll be able to direct traffic from the podcast to the products I’ll be rleeasing this year.

      I’ve actually already recorded the first two episodes and will be publishing them next week. I’ll admit it did take a very long time to get down but I’m certain with more practice I’ll be able to speed up the process in the future.

      I appreciate you stopping by to add your insight and hope to see you again soon!

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  5. Hey James,

    What do you do in your spare time? Or perhaps you don’t have any?

    Seriously, you have some great plans here, and I’m sure you will execute them in a timely manner. Its great to have several different streams of online presence and revenue earning, as long as they are all manageable, and I’m sure you will be OK on that front.

    Here’s to your success in 2015!
    – David

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    1. Hi David! Good to see you again.

      Spare time? What’s that? Haha whenever I end up with extra time I try to fill it with more work. There’s always more to be done in this space!

      I’m a huge fan of diversification in both traffic sources as well as income streams. Good to know that even if one gets wiped out, you have others covering you.

      Good times are ahead! Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Your great post is really inspiring me as a new blogger. Planning before doing is one step that we have to consider. A big planning following with a big result. Plan, do, check and action. This circle I believe could help us in building anything.

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    1. Hi Danhid!

      Right, it’s good to have a plan in place, but it’s even more important to stick to it! If we never actually get around to putting our plans into actions, they aren’t worth much are they?

      Sounds like you know the process well, keep taking action and good results are sure to come your way!

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  7. Hi James
    Belatedly (been a little bogged down as usual) thanks so much for mentioning my blog post, I really appreciate that. I enjoyed the lively debate that ensued too!

    Whew…. I’m exhausted just reading about your plans, but have no doubts that you’ll accomplish all your goals and look forward to seeing the results.

    I’ve never got into listening to podcasts, preferring to watch videos, but I know I’m probably old-fashioned in that respect.

    I would love to work with you should you see an area where you think I could add value. I quake at the thought of being your competitor but working with you recently was great, so do keep me in mind, please.

    Good to see your guest articles recently on Donna and Estine’s blogs.

    Keep up the good work! Joy

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    1. Hi Joy!

      I was never really big on podcasts either until I found a few shows that I really enjoyed. I tend to listen to them while I’m doing something else like driving or exercising.

      I am planning on inviting a few established bloggers and entrepreneurs to talk/interview on the podcast who would be willing to share a bit about their area of expertise. I’ve put that off for now just because I want the show to get established first but if it interests you that could be one area we could work together on.

      As far as the other projects go, I’ll know more about those when I get working on those more so I’ll let you know. The products themselves will have very generous commissions to affiliates (somewhere between 50-75%, and these aren’t going to be cheap products either) so they may be more rewarding to promote than my books which are priced at only $10. I have not looked into the membership site idea too much but if I can find a way to set up an affiliate program for that as well, it could act as a steady stream of residual income.

      Anyway I’ll send you an email when that time comes, appreciate your interest and thanks for visiting!

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  8. Hello James, I have only just found your site and have got to say I am very impressed with what I have read so far. I have only just started on the blogging and mmo thing and I do need to come up with some sort of plan! I can’t believe that a quarter of the year has gone already. Thank you for sharing all of this information.

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    1. Hey Tom! I’m glad to see you here!

      It’s definitely a good idea to have a plan in place, just remember that a plan is worthless if you never get around to making something out of it! We can plan all day long but if we’re not actually taking action and putting those plans into effect we’re just wasting our time.

      When I first started I spent too much time planning and not enough time doing. Today, I tend to take action and make adjustments along the way and see much better results. Have an outline, but do not be afraid to modify your plan as you go!

      Let me know if there’s ever anything I can do to help you out Tom, hope to see you again soon!

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  9. Hey James,

    Great post and it doesn’t matter if it’s 3 months in, at least you still got to share your thoughts.

    Congrats on the podcast first of all. I’ve been down that road and I may head down that road again in the future, but not right now. But it was certainly fun to do.

    Regarding the video series, congrats on that as well. I’ve been thinking about getting into video — more than podcasts. It offers a completely different reach and is something I think I’d enjoy doing. And just like you, I plan on monetizing my blog this year. I’m in the stages of creating some products for Udemy and for my own products on my blog. Should be fun but very time consuming at the moment.

    As far as a membership site, I would seriously consider that as well. But I’m looking into it at the moment .. and at the moment it’s not feasible for me to do one.

    Anyhow, I wish you all the best for your goals this year.

    – Andrew

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    1. Hi Andrew!

      Video is a great choice, on one of my old sites YouTube actually accounted for over 25% of my total visitors so its impact as huge. Like you said, it allows you to reach an entirely new set of people and most of our competitors aren’t bothering to work on YouTube so you’ll have a huge advantage if you become active on the platform.

      For now I’ve been putting my podcast episodes up on YouTube along with some audio versions of the posts I do here, but when I have time I’d love to start putting up some unique content there. Other than the obvious traffic it brings, the ad revenue on YouTube isn’t bad at all. These days I’m making just as much advertising revenue across all of my YouTube channels as I am on my websites.

      Membership sites are tricky, and I’m still a bit unclear on what I am going to actually do. I’m thinking I’ll start creating some awesome extras now to put in there, so when it comes time to open up the membership site I’ll have a ton of content ready to drip-feed. That should keep people paying every month while still getting access to new content. This will allow me to focus more time on the coaching side of things and working closer with the members.

      Great seeing you here Andrew!

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