Ever see how much one of those Plymouth Prowlers cost? Its made entirely from aluminum. Not to mention sometimes aluminum wants to bend from heat/cold. Id say the best method is to pull the tractor deck once every year , at least, and thououghly go thru it. My method of keeping the decks free from rust: 1.Totally clean the deck of rust, loose paint, grass, ect. 2.( my preference) - remove all components ( draw a diagram where belts, pulleys, springs go) - sand down entire deck ( only bottom if top is fine). 3. Use good quality spray on automotive undercoating on the underside of deck only, let dry. 4. Spray Krylon Fusion paint ( my choice is gloss black) in thin coats - at least 5-10 coats- let dry. 5. Turn deck over and paint top ( if needed - otherwise tape off holes thru deck to avoid overspray) with same Kyrlon paint ( 90% of my tractors have black painted decks OEM). 6. Reassemble deck after letting totally dry ( at least a day or so). Ive found this works quite good in keeping away rust and grass from sticking. Ive also herd theres a coating called grain bin paint that works good also ( ive never tried it yet tho). Kidd

Thanks Wanda! It's good to be back. And you're right, it really has been tough for so many people. But I've been impressed with the help I've received. Even collecting unemployment for the few weeks that I did was easy and my local unemployment office was incredibly responsive and helpful, something I didn't expect at all. I mean, I'm in Miami, home of the foreclosure crisis, with the highest unemployment in the state, and the folks at that office were really nice and helpful. And there are so many cool programs out there right now to help people get back on their feet. The Making Homes Affordable program is truly awesome, whether you've been laid off or have a mortgage that's adjusting. More than anything, it just seems so smart. Banks make lower profits for a few years on the guarantee that they won't lose money, I stay in a home that I love and work hard to take care of, my neighbors don't deal with a foreclosure next door. It's just win-win, as far as I can tell. It's been a life-saver for us. There's probably no good time to lose your job, but I feel lucky that I did at a time when there was a lot of support out there. And I'm very glad to be back. :)

I have a successful cleaning business, and here is my advice. * I charge by the house, not by the hour. This might be hard for someone starting out, as you don't have a feel for how long the job will take, so you could start by the hour (a new client's home will take you longer for the first several times you go---make sure they know not to expect everything to get done in 3 hours the first few times you clean). How long it takes will depend upon the size of the house, how dirty it is, how many kids and pets there are, if they're smokers, etc. Most homes take me either 3 hours (if I clean weekly), or 4 hours (every other week jobs). I have one large home that I go to twice a week. * How much you charge depends on the market you're in. Do a little research and find out how much services and individual cleaners are charging. Remember that you will be paying taxes (inc. social security) and you should carry some disability insurance, so factor that into your fee as well. In my market (Upper Midwest) cleaners charge between $20 and $35 an hour. Expect payment on the day of the cleaning. * My basic service includes dusting all surfaces (including frames and blinds); cleaning kitchen counters, cupboard fronts, outside of all appliances, inside of microwave; scrubbing tub, toilet and sink & cleaning mirrors; vacuuming all floors, rugs and stairs; vacuum and wash kitchen and bathroom floors; empty wastebaskets and take out trash; washing other floors if that is agreed upon in initial estimate. * I do only the tasks listed above as part of my regular cleaning. I do extras for people when they go on vacation (windows, inside of fridge, cleaning cupboards, etc). It's good to be clear with clients whether it's okay with you to switch some task on a day of usual cleaning for an extra. I'll do this occasionally for weekly clients, but not for every other week folks. * Advertise at grocery stores and coffee shops in the neighborhoods where you'd like to work. Let as many people as possible know that you're starting a new business. People are ALWAYS looking for a good, reliable house cleaner. * I ask that clients not be home when I clean. When I'm there it becomes my place of business, not their home. Most people have a hard time getting that even "grabbing a quick sandwich" while I'm cleaning the kitchen really does get in my way. If you have great references most people are comfortable with you alone in their home, but might want to be around the first few times. * I don't provide supplies other than my little canister vac and my own rubber gloves. I do pick up the supplies of my choice for the clients (unless they have specific requests) and leave them at their house (they pay me back). Try to clean as "green" as you can to avoid a lot of nasty fumes and toxic cleaners. Most people wouldn't mind if you got your own supplies as long as you weren't using products they didn't approve of (harsh chemicals, for example.) * A few last words of advice: Be Reliable. If you are scheduled on Monday from 9-12, BE THERE. Never, ever fail to show up without a good reason and a phone call or email. Always do the job you'd want a cleaner to do for you. Don't cut corners. If you can't work because of an upcoming event or vacation, give plenty of notice. Ask them to let you know immediately if there is something you are missing, or doing wrong in their eyes. Communicate with your client and you'll become an invisible, yet valued part of their family. * The other side of that coin is to be fair to yourself. Don't feel guilty for setting limits. If a client asks for extras, charge them for the service. My policy is to charge for cancellations, although if someone's sick or there is another serious reason, I don't do so often. My clients are happy to do this as I am reliable and a hard worker (and have had many of the the same clients for 17 years!) Go to cleaning websites like this one and thecleanteam.com for tips and ideas about cleaning (the latter sells a great book called "Speed Cleaning" that has been an enormous help to me. * GOOD LUCK!

"In most states, food sold commercially must be prepared in an inspected industrial kitchen. Unless you're able to modify your own home kitchen, which typically is rather expensive." There are many things to consider when starting a business, any business. For instance, if it is a food business, do you need a permit, BOH approval, a separate kitchen? Secondly, are you assembling, cooking, a combination of both, or baking? In our area, if you're doing bakery/baking you don't necessarily need an industrial kitchen or a separate kitchen. You might be able to prepare the baked goods in your home oven, but you do need a permit and in most cases, BOH approval. If you are renting your residence, you will need your landlord's approval. Prime example are those that do "child care" out of a home they rent. Heaven forbid their landlord isn't aware of this and something happens and next thing you know, the landlord finds himself in the midst of a lawsuit. If it's a food business, there are many things that are involved when the preparation of food is done. Permits and insurance are just two of the things that come to mind. In addition, if you're planning on using someone else's property as your business "base", you'd better make sure you're not trying to fly under the radar. I'm a landlord and I can tell you that it will be a cold day in he!! before I would let a tenant have a business located on a residential property that I own. No discussion there. In a previous lifetime, a partner and I had a very profitable residential and small commercial cleaning business for 10+ years. We had to have liability insurance, a business partnership agreement on file with the County Clerk's office, we had to be bonded, we had to file business taxes quarterly...these are just a few things that we had to take into consideration. It's not as simple as saying, "Hey! I think I'll start my own business in XYZ", and then just doing it. There's a lot of research that needs to be done, especially in this day and age. We don't work on a "handshake and a promise" any longer, like we did many years ago. We're a very litigious society, so you'd better make sure your arse is duly covered before venturing into the business of owning your own business. Starting and having your own business can be very rewarding and profitable, but for those that think (just an example), "Okay, I have this great recipe and I'm goin' into business...yippee!", may I suggest that you consider removing those rose colored glasses.