We pride ourselves in keeping a nice clean home and upkeep of our lawn and landscaping. It is not only for our benefit but the rules of the neighborhood as our home is in a Homeowners Association.
I truly enjoy mowing my lawn and my wife enjoys planting and taking care of the various flowers and plants we have in our front and backyard. Unfortunately, in the last few years there has been somewhat of a drought where we live and our lawn has developed a few bare spots. We tried and tried to fix this matter by seeding the area, hiring a professional company that will fertilize the area, employing a sprinkler professional to make sure the area was irrigated properly and hiring tree trimmers to prune our trees to make sure that there was enough sunlight on our lawn. In the last five years we resodded our lawn twice at a considerable expense and we were hoping to avoid that this time.
In order to make sure that our lawn with bare spots was not a distraction to the neighborhood, we made sure that the rest of our lawn and landscaping was neat and tidy and looked great.
And then it happened… we received a letter from our Homeowner Association stating that we were in violation of some type of ordinance and that our lawn needed to have the bare spots covered. At first, I was offended. Then, I became irritated. Then, I became a little embarrassed as I wondered how bad it really looked. After further assessment of the lawn, and in my opinion, it really did not look that bad but we were still not in compliance. We were given 20 days to cover the area with new sod.
Now, I have been told that where we live this may be the wrong time of the year to lay sod as the summer heat is intense. So, I reached out to the Homeowner Association and asked for a review of my situation and explained to them all the things that we had done to rectify the matter. After a few days I did not hear back regarding my request for a review, so my wife and I decided to take action and sod the lawn ourselves. Yes, you heard that right, we decided to do the work ourselves.
We borrowed my son’s truck and went to a facility that sells pallets of sod. After we picked up the sod, we immediately began the process of laying it down so that it could begin to take root and fill the bare spots. Now I don’t know how sod comes where you are, but were we live sod comes in squares or rectangles. We surveyed the area and began laying down the sod piece by piece. After just a few pieces we realized how strenuous this activity was and developed a deeper appreciation to landscape professionals. But we persisted and piece by piece we completed the work.
It was so fulfilling to see the bare spots filled in and our lawn look fantastic! What felt even better is that we did it ourselves. We had no idea how to do this other than watching a few videos, reading a few articles online and asking for some advice.
So, what does this have to do with running an online business? Well, I’m glad you asked! When I first had the idea to start an online business and work for myself I had no idea how many moving parts there were and how many “pieces” needed to be laid out in order for the business to get up and running, or take root, so to speak!
All of these get rich quick sites and advertisements promised untold wealth with limited investment and limited effort. They failed to say that there is a lot more to it than just signing up and watching the money come in. I’m very fortunate I didn’t fall for those schemes and ended up working with a company that is offering me the training and the tools necessary to become successful.
I was truly amazed. At my former company and all my other previous jobs, all these moving parts were already up and running when I showed up to work on day one. It’s like me getting in a car and turning on the ignition and everything magically works without even thinking about what is going on under the hood. Or me turning on the faucet and expecting cold or hot water without even thinking about all the plumbing involved and where the water actually comes from. I just focused on my job and did my best to accomplish my duties.
Now that I own this business it all falls on me, I am amazed how much it takes in the background to get something like this started. Now I don’t want to scare anybody off by saying that it’s difficult, because it is, but it is absolutely doable if you have the right support and the right tools to get things done.
Even as I write this blog post there are so many things happening in the background. When I look at businesses now I have a lot more respect for business owners and operators as they take care of all these things while the customer receives the benefit of their work.
Just like assembling my lawn piece by piece and placing the pieces in the right order so that they all fit, I am doing that with my business. And I am so excited to see all the pieces fitting nicely together and can’t wait until I see my business grow and grow.
If you are curious to see what it takes to run an online business and to see all the processes, pieces and back-end duties, please reach out to me and I’d love to share with you what I have learned and accomplished. I am very fortunate to have support so that I don’t randomly make errors and so that my business can thrive.
Ok, I better log off now as I need to go water my new lawn. And while I’m at it I’ll be thinking about my little business and thinking about my next blog post as the roots take hold in my new lawn and in my new business!
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
And of course, a few VERY BAD Dad jokes:
Why did the lawnmower get a job? It wanted to cut down on expenses!
What do you call a cow eating grass? A lawn moo-er!
Until next time, STAY FRESH, Friends!
**If you are curious about this process and wish to know more about an affiliate marketing business, please subscribe to my newsletter here to learn more. And please continue following my blog. My hope is not only to create the freedom I so long for but pass on what I have learned to others who have similar aspirations.
My fenced in yard is showing signs of needing a few pieces of sod. The grass seed isn’t cutting it!! This summer has been remarkably HOT, and I must be on the lookout for dogs who like to dig. However, all lawns in my immediate area are burned out. The few storms we have had are helping. I don’t have a Home Owners Association but we have strict township ordinances-apparently the strictest in the whole of Lancaster County. I am about to tackle the unwanted Mulberry Trees that are in danger of taking over the yard. Unwanted by whom? Cutting down trees is upsetting to me. But I must do what I don’t want to do, otherwise known as building character!! That also applies to building our respective businesses!!
HI Kate – Building character – that is an interesting and positive way to look at it. That’s what I was doing this week, building character. I’m with you about cutting trees down. I find it so counterproductive and hope that we don’t have to do that very often. I actually do like living in our homeowner association as they are, for the most part, very good and understanding. Plus, they ensure that everybody is in compliance and the neighborhood is nice and peaceful. I do not like the annual fees, but you get what you pay for. Have a wonderful week, my friend!
Hi Ernie,
I enjoyed reading about your lawn project. I rent my place, so I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with yard work like you do!
It’s impressive how you and your wife handled the challenge yourselves. Your dedication is clear. I also appreciated how you connected this to running an online business, both require a lot of effort and learning.
I’m excited to hear more about your journey. Keep up the great work!
Meredith
Hi Meredith – Thank you for your visit and comments to my blog. It means so much to me that you would take the time to read and think about some of the things that I write about. I truly do enjoy writing this blog. This project, well difficult, was a nice bonding experience for my wife and I and we can look back on the job that we’ve completed and know that it is all ours. Have a wonderful week!
Hey Ernie, It’s me again – your happy go-lucky social media blog post sharer. 🙂 I’m amazed that in this day and age that you are not replacing all that sod with other appealing landscaping features.
And then in relating all of your landscaping work to the effort required to get your online business up and running – you give great advice of it being both hard work and doable with the right tools and the right support.
I’ll be watching for your new business taking root!
Hello, my friend! Trust me, we did think about substituting the turf for other materials and we may do so in a future if this grass does not take, However, if we do this we have to go through a lot of hoops and red tape with the homeowner association to make sure that we are in compliance. Not a big deal, it is what it is. While I was completing this task I really was thinking about my business and about how we have to piece everything together to make something nice and worthwhile. That’s what inspired me to write the blog this week and I appreciate your visit to my little writings. Wonderful week!
What an eventful week you’ve had! First off, well done to you and your wife for taking such good care of your home and garden, even amidst all the challenges. It’s great to hear that you both enjoy the upkeep—there’s something very satisfying about a well-maintained garden. Mine is very minimal for this exact reason. I have grass and low maintenance bushes! lol
I’ve never heard of an association and rules, I don’t THINK we have them in England? That letter must have been quite a shock, especially after all the efforts you’ve put in. I totally get the range of emotions you went through. It’s frustrating when your hard work isn’t immediately visible to others. But I love how you took it in stride and decided to tackle the sod job yourselves. That’s impressive!
I admire your determination and willingness to learn and adapt, whether it’s gardening or business. Keep up the fantastic work on both fronts! Can’t wait to hear more about your journey and see your business flourish just like your new lawn.
Best of luck with everything—and don’t forget to keep that lawn hydrated!
YAY! I always love it when I see your name that you are commenting on my little blog posts. It wasn’t eventful week, but we got through it like we always do. As they say, “time stops for no one” and here we are a week later with different opportunities That’s the key word, opportunities. We do take pride in our lawn and our home appearance and I was in shock when I received the letter. Now that I think about it, I had the wrong attitude and I should have taken it for the way it was intended and that is just for the upkeep and presentation of our property. Live and learn! Anyway, we now have a new lawn that I hope takes root and I have this new business that I hope the same for in the end. Have a wonderful week, my friend!
When I first read your blog I thought you were being quite disrespectful using the word “sod”. Then I realised over here in Australia, that’s what we call “turf”. In aussie (and british) slang, “sod” means something quite different. Ha ha. Anyhoo, I know the feeling when your lawn has had a fresh coat of grass. I did the same a few years ago when my wife and I were renting. At our own expense and with the blessing of the landlord. I nurtured that stuff like it was my own.
Your housing association sounds very harsh. What would happen if you didn’t or weren’t able to comply?
Hi Andy – I sincerely apologize if the word I used which is interpreted in a different culture was disrespectful or inappropriate in any way. That certainly was not my intention and again, I am sorry for the misunderstanding and confusion. The word does actually mean turf but where I’m from it is used for grass or a combination of some type of ground cover. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. And, for those that are reading this and were offended, please know that in no way was my intent to bring out bad feelings or disrespect.
Ernie, as always, I really enjoyed your post. It’s fascinating how tackling a seemingly straightforward task like sodding a lawn can lead to such insightful reflections on business development.
Your experience with the lawn reminded me of how crucial it is to understand and manage the foundational elements in any project. Just as you discovered the importance of proper lawn care, building an online business involves laying down the right groundwork and gradually addressing each component to achieve success.
One thing that stands out is your perseverance and the value you placed on hands-on learning. This approach is equally beneficial when starting a business. Sometimes, rolling up your sleeves and diving into the work, even if it means learning through trial and error, provides the best education. It’s like building a website piece by piece or testing different marketing strategies until you find what works best.
Looking forward to hearing more about your progress and any additional lessons you’ve learned along the way!
Hi Alison – Yes, you get it! I guess I could have paid someone to do it but at this point I really did not want to put out the expense. I went in with the attitude of “well it’s got to get done so I guess I better just do it.” I had no way of knowing that I was going to enjoy the process. A benefit was getting to work side by side with my wife an her eagle eye in discovering areas where we could improve the process. Teamwork! I did think this is exactly what my business is like, piecing things together to make something not only useful but beneficial for all. I’m so glad I did this myself. Have a wonderful day!
Boy the joys of an HOA! Your post made me stop and think about when was the last time I laid sod? It has been quite a while and when we did it we did the whole yard and the mudd pies were the best! Seriously, the sense of accomplishment was well worth it after it was all finished. With each of the wins both present and future in your journey you will also experience that same feeling of accomplishment. Stay Hydrated both you and your lawn I know it’s HOT out there.
HI Ken – Ohh yes, the joys of an HOA. Most of the time I’m very grateful for them as our neighborhood is pleasant and peaceful. There was a big sense of accomplishment and I’m glad we did it ourselves. And yes, hydration is important! Have a wonderful day and a wonderful week ahead!