Note: The former name of this website was ‘Help Start My Site.’ It is now ‘James McAllister Online’.
As 2015 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward towards the new year.
2015 was a huge year for me. I came out with 5 new products for Help Start My Site, and went through a lot in my personal world that has fundamentally changes how I have structured my life.
When we grow so drastically in a given year, it’s very hard to keep that pace up and continue accelerating into the future. While I doubt I will ever have another year as significant as 2015 for a very long time, that does not mean I can not continue to grow and make 2016 extremely impactful.
2016 is going to be a very interesting year for me, both within Help Start My Site and outside of it.
Without any further ado, here’s what I’m expecting in 2016.
More Courses As Well As Adding On To Old Ones
First things first, I am definitely going to release more courses in 2016.
I created 5 courses in 2015, 4 being directly related to money in some way. Another course of mine was on lucid dreaming, which I made not just because it’s a topic I know a lot about, but because I had a lot of other websites ready to promote it as an affiliate. While not directly tied into my main business, I had a lot of fun with it and it’s made a lot of money so far.
Obviously if the courses weren’t such a hit I wouldn’t waste my time creating them. Since they’re doing so well, I have plans to create more when possible.
The only problem is that I can only genuinely provide value in a handful of topics, and eventually I’m going to hit my limit on how many courses I can truly create. I would never put out a mediocre product, and I’m not an expert in everything. I can’t see myself putting out more than 5 more comprehensive courses anytime in the near future.
However, I do think there are 2-3 more topics I could cover really well. While I’m not going to reveal the course topics right now, you’ll want to stay tuned because these will be ones you want to pick up.
Additionally, I have gone back and added many new lectures to my courses based on student feedback, questions, and ideas. my blogging course for example has gone from 33 to 52 lectures since its original publishing, and I only expect to continue adding new lectures to my courses heading into 2016.
My goal is to have the world’s best courses on their respective topics, and I promise I will do everything in my power to make that happen.
Big Ticket Package
I must thank Kim Willis from Persuasion Pursuit for encouraging me to develop a big ticket package, which is exactly what I plan to do sometime in 2016.
I have to be honest with you though – I’m not quite sure what this will be. I do not have much experience developing big ticket products and this will certainly have to be an area I improve on heading into the new year.
I was thinking perhaps a bundle of some of my courses with private coaching, access to my membership site and select services, but I really want to add some unique spin on it.
Regardless of what I end up doing, I am certain it will be worth every penny. If you have any ideas you think would work well, definitely let me know about them.
Focus On Video
You may know that I’ve been focusing more and more time on my YouTube channel, where I try to publish several new videos weekly. If you haven’t already subscribed, I highly recommend taking a moment to do so by clicking here.Â
I’m pleased with what I’ve been able to put out so far, but of course I’d love to ramp it up even more in the new year.
Not just on YouTube either – live streaming platforms like Facebook and Periscope may also be part of my 2016 plans. The engagement and interactive features these platforms provide are unmatched by anything else and I see them as fantastic tools if utilized correctly.
People have been saying that platforms like YouTube and Periscope are the future of television, and if that’s true, I think you and I need to grab our piece of it.
Don’t like video? Uncomfortable talking in front of a screen? It’s time to embrace reality and get over it. If you’re comfortable in your business, you’re probably not doing enough.
The fact is more and more content is being consumed through video, and that means us entrepreneurs and bloggers have to adapt.
Establish Omnipresence
What do you think of when you hear the word soda? What about computers? Fast food? Chances are, you immediately think about companies like Coca-Cola, Apple, Microsoft, and McDonalds. That’s because these brands have achieved omnipresence in their respective field.
While I certainly can’t be everywhere at once, this year I want to try and get as close as I possibly can towards achieving omnipresence. I have already upped the amount I post on social media drastically, and as I expand onto other platforms such as YouTube, I am doing a better job at more effectively integrating myself into more of my audience’s lives.
I think that if you work in such a competitive space such as the health, wealth, and dating markets, it’s very important people are thinking about you often. Otherwise, they’ll end up thinking about somebody else and you’ll end up losing their business.
Expect to see and hear far from me more in 2016 than you did in 2015.
Real Estate Acquisition
Outside of the internet marketing world, I’m planning to acquire a quadplex this year, which is an exciting first for me.
While I have been actively investing in the stock market since I turned 18, I have never invested in real estate outside of real estate investment trusts (REITs.)
I was very fortunate to find a partner who’s strengths are my weaknesses and vice-versa, not to mention somebody with fantastic credit and over 20 years of landlording experience.
While I love the work I’m doing with Help Start My Site, I know it is my investments that is going to take me to 10, 50, 100 million or more. I have been consuming real estate content like no tomorrow and while I know I won’t go without any mistakes, I am confident this is where the REAL money is going to be made for me.
Does this mean Help Start My Site will suffer? Not at all. In fact, it means I’ll be able to reinvest even more of the money the internet marketing ventures are making me and grow faster than ever before.
While I’m sure one day I’ll be forced to invest out-of-state, right now I am only looking for deals within Washington state. If you happen to live here or know somebody that does that has experience in the real estate industry in any shape or form, please contact me. I’d love to do business.
Conclusion
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 2016 an awesome year for both of us?
Please share anything that’s on your mind. I really 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 and they will help me tremendously.
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!
Well hello again there James!
Just reading through your big plans for the new year. It looks as if you have some awesome stuff in store. Can’t wait to see what youre up to my friend.
Oh and Congrats on your real estate acquisition. I’ve always wanted to delve off into real estate and am praying that I will be able to get started with investing soon. Cheers and here’s to the New Year!
Kim George(Quote)
Hey Kim!
I’m really excited for what lies ahead in the new year. We’ve got to start working towards it now. Let’s aim to make every day great, make each day impactful in a way that aligns with our goals for 2016. That sounds like a winning recipe to me for a fantastic year.
Glad to hear you’re interested in investing. I do feel that not nearly enough people are doing it, which is why I created my financial indepenence course to show people it’s a lot easier than they think. Of course real estate is a bit more complex than the stock market is, but that also means potentially greater rewards.
I’m certainly no expert yet but if there’s ever anything I can help you with feel free to ask. 🙂
James McAllister(Quote)
Thanks for sharing James. I fully agree about not putting out mediocre products. It may make you money in the short term, but the long term effect is it just destroys goodwill and that’s why you no longer hear about certain Internet marketers who used to be well known.
This is especially true for big ticket packages, for obvious reasons. I wouldn’t add a big ticket package (my own, or as an affiliate) unless I was confident it’s worth every penny, and I would recommend the same for anyone else. It would also be worth investing in a good course that can show you how to integrate a big ticket package into your business.
Also, congrats on the real estate plans. It sounds you were fortunate to find that partner.
Carlo(Quote)
Right on Carlo, it only takes one poor customer experience to lose them forever – and it sure does seem in the MMO market people are quick to point out when a marketer’s product sucks. Maximizing sales out of a single customer is extremely important to me so I really like to overdeliver.
Some people like to complain about prices but like you said if it’s worth the cost you don’t have to feel bad about it. I never consider myself to overcharge because I know the products I put out deliver far more value than what I price them at.
On real estate – I am super excited. I was lucky to find the partner early on as she has a huge number of connections in our area, so it sounds like it’s going to be a win-win.
James McAllister(Quote)
Hi James,
I do like your plans. When it comes to real estate, I do think it is a great idea. I had many properties that sufficed me well over the years. It will be time consuming, but sounds like your partner has good experience….it is something you will need. I have sold most of mine off due to the location and how I foreseen it being stagnant but did make a fantastic return. The two I currently have do make a profit and so far so good as the location goes. I love real estate investments from flipping to holding. It’s something tangible besides the internet business.
As long as your numbers are working you will be fine. The “dealing with people” is another entire ball game. I have to admit I did have times where some tenants were “trouble” but it all worked out. Many will try to discourage you, but if you see a good deal….go for it!
I also like the idea of going for bigger ticket items. You do have so much to give to others with honesty and great ethics. You will do great!
Cheers to you!
-Donna
Donna Merrill(Quote)
I am so excited for it Donna and I’m glad to hear it’s something you’ve had experience in as well. I thought I remembered you mentioning it somewhere before, but I wasn’t entirely sure.
I am still learning the business and while we are primarily looking for buy and hold investments, I’m open to flipping when the numbers make sense. I see this as a very scalable business and a great opportunity to use my money to make more. I still throw most of the money I make into the stock market where my previous real estate exposure came in the form of REITs, but the idea of diversifying into a physical asset like real estate which will still provide rental income during market downturns is comforting to me.
The idea of dealing with people is what put me off for a while. I have heard so many horror stories, but I understand the risk can be managed. My partner will likely be handling everything on that regard, so I am very thankful for that.
I am so excited, and I’d love to hear more about your experiences sometime!
James McAllister(Quote)
Hey James!
Thanks for the inspiration. I’m definitely going to focus more on videos this year. I know not many people in my niche (locally) are using videos, so it’s going to be quite interesting to see the response from the competition.
Rhonda Chapman(Quote)
Hi Rhonda!
That’s awesome and of course my advice is definitely to go for it. I think if we want to see the results are competition are not having, we have to be willing to do the things they aren’t willing to do. A lot of people shy away from video but really they are only hurting themselves by doing that.
It’s such a great avenue for building trust and credibility, and of course a great traffic driver as well.
Let me know how it works out for you and if there’s anything I can help with, let me know!
James McAllister(Quote)
Hey thanks James for the mention
This is my first day back and only just saw this post.
Yes you did have a big year, in more way than one.
Striking the balance between our personal lives and our business lives is always a juggling act. But for me, my personal and family life is more important than business, so it’s vital that we feel fulfilled in that area too.
I think your move to the video side of things is smart. I get some of my best business from some of my crazy YouTube videos. It flat out works!
Good to see you’re also venturing forth into the real estate arena. I did a lot of property work myself ten years ago. We ended up doing about 150 deals over a five year period. Interesting times.
Have a great 2016, James
Kim
Kim Willis(Quote)
Hey Kim, of course! Got to give credit where credit is due. I’ve put off big ticket packages for too long and now it’s time to change that.
In a way I can kind of relate to that, juggling our personal life and our business life. When I took on that parental role a while back, I know for certain that it was far more important to me as well. I’d do anything to get that back, including closing up shop. My business suffered enormously during that time but I felt it was worth it.
Now.. it’s back to business as usual I suppose. No longer looking for balance. I’ll throw everything I have into business now so I can throw everything I have into family life later on. All this work helps me keep my mind off of my loss as well, so that’s something.
Wow, 150 deals over 5 years! That’s pretty incredible. We’re looking to pick up as many units as we possibly can as quickly as we can. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m prepared for it.
Looking forward to getting to know you better this year Kim!
James McAllister(Quote)
Hi James,
Great to hear your plans for 2016. I’ve loved your courses in 2015 and I know that whatever you put out will be a quality product.
I have already moved in the direction of higher ticket items online, because it just makes so much better sense. However, this is in the affiliate marketing arena rather than producing my own products – I tried that and it wasn’t something I enjoyed. But the main reason is that I don’t have the time to produce my own products, due to two offline businesses I work in. (I’m not a believer in those who say cobble together a few PLR reports, call it your new product and charge $97 for it.)
One of those is property letting, and it generates a very welcome income for me. I’ve had a few nightmare tenants over the years, but overall it’s been a positive and profitable experience, so I wish you well and look forward to hearing how it goes for you. I may also be branching out further, in a JV with my son, who is a developer – but still very early days on that one, nothing firm yet.
Exciting times! Good luck, Joy
Joy Healey(Quote)
Hi Joy! Thank you for your kind words about my products, I’m always glad to hear that you’ve enjoyed them.
Oh my goodness you are right, cheap PLR junk just gives us all a bad name. I know it’s not all bad but let’s be real here – it usually isn’t worth the price that’s asked for it. Only time I’ll ever make money from PLR is if I start selling the actual PLR itself…
Good to hear you’ve had experience in real estate as well. It’s certainly going to be an interesting ride and I’ve got to say, I’m thankful I won’t be the one handling the tenants hahaha.
You’ll have to keep me updated with the JV if it ends up happening, sounds interesting!
Always good to talk to you Joy!
James McAllister(Quote)