Limousine Service Invoice Template

What is a Limousine?

A limousine is a large (typically elongated) vehicle that separates the driver (called a “chauffeur”) and the passenger(s) by means of a partition directly behind the chauffeur. The word “limousine” in itself does not refer to a vehicle with a long wheelbase, but any luxurious motored vehicle that has distinct sections for the passengers and chauffeur. “Stretch limousine” is the term used to describe the longer wheelbase variants.

How Much Does a Limousine Cost?

Much like the hourly rates that can be charged for hiring a limousine, the cost of an actual limousine can vary considerably. For those looking to start a limousine company, looking at used is typically the most affordable option. limoforsale.com and weselllimos.com are two popular options for browsing a wide selection of both stretched and non-stretched limousine options. For starters, the following stretch limousines are very popular options (price ranges are estimates only – data collected from limoforsale.com):

• Lincoln Town Car (used only)
  • Used price range: $5,000 to $25,000
• Chrysler 300
  • Used price range: $7,500 to $90,000
  • New price range: $75,000 to $100,000+
• Cadillac Escalade
  • Used price range: $5,000 to $100,000+
  • New price range: $100,000+

For purchasing a new limo, there are two options: 1. Buying the standard vehicle and paying to have it stretched, or; 2. Purchasing an already-stretched limo ready to be brought into service. Going the route of purchasing a ready-to-go limousine is recommended, as it cuts out a considerable amount of time. For those just starting out, purchasing a non-extended vehicle may be preferable, and is a common option for shuttling small groups of people to the airport or other popular locations.

How to Promote a Limousine Service

After forming a business plan, purchasing the first few limousines, and hiring one or more chauffeurs, there’s most likely only one thing missing: customers. To market a new limousine to the public, there are several methods that can be undertaken. Before jumping into one of the options below, take the time to research the market and identify any areas that haven’t been explored by competing services – by tapping into a previously untouched area, the opportunity for growth can be enormous. A few of these marketing options include:

1. Going Online

With the introduction of the internet, the marketing game has been flipped on its head. While other forms of marketing still exist, the first step a new company should take is building a website that contains prices, contact information (phone number(s), address, email, etc), an “about us” section, a contact form for those interested in requesting a service, and any other pieces of information that help sell people on the service.

Once the base website is up and running, there are several ways to increase the website’s likeliness to appear in search results. These include:

• • • Blog Posts / Content Creation
    • Paying for Advertisements
    • Google Adwords (check it out here)
    • Social Media

Utilizing all four (4) of the above ideas may not be necessary, but in times when business is slow or a company is looking to expand, they can make an enormous difference in the profitability of the limousine service.

2. Branding

Clothing, logos, business cards, flyers, and physical advertisements are all ways of increasing the public’s awareness of a new or old limo company. The key? Keep everything consistent. If a color is changed in the logo, ensure all physical and non-physical means of branding are updated to match.

3. Discounts & Coupons

In the early days of a business, giving something away at a significantly lower cost (or even free) can be disconcerting. Even if the discount is small, it can increase the probability of acquiring new customers significantly. As an example, a new limousine company may offer “the first hour free” (with a minimum booking of two (2) or three (3) hours.

Marketing a limo service should by no means be limited to the above options, but serve as a strong starting point for getting a business at the forefront of people’s minds, leading to new, long-lasting customers.

Chauffeur Salary & Hourly Rate ($/hr)

Salary: $32,570/yr (source: BLS) Hourly Rate: $15.66/hr (source: BLS)