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Home » Auto And Trucks Articles » Hiring A Limousine

Hiring A Limousine

You can ride in just about any type of stretch limo for a lot less than you'd expect-- if you know how to drive a hard bargain.

Steps:

1. Assess your finances. A standard limousine (four to six passengers) will set you back about $40 to $80 per hour; a stretch limo (six to eight passengers) runs slightly more--about $60 to $100 per hour. Both have an hourly minimum of four to five hours (although this is usually negotiable). For specialty limos such as a Mercedes, a Hummer or a superstretch (up to 22 passengers), costs can top out at $3,000 for the night.

2. Research, research, research. Be sure the limo operator is licensed and insured. Decide what type of limo you want (standard, stretch, superstretch or specialty) and for how long, based on the event and the number of people in your party. What are you looking for, whether it's a bar, stereo, TV and DVD player, video-gaming system, intercom, sunroof, Jacuzzi, or all of that and a bag of chips. Prices may or may not be posted online. You'll need to do some phone work to get the best deal.

3. Find out the year and make of the limo you'll be hiring, its condition, and the complimentary amenities before you give a deposit. Be sure the deposit is refundable if the limo doesn't meet with your satisfaction. Many limo companies will advertise one type of car and show up at your door with something entirely different. Most list photos of their limos on their Web sites. If quality is a top priority, plan a visit to the limo company and reserve the exact limo that suits your needs.

4. Hire a quality driver. This is crucial--a bad driver can ruin your evening. Make sure the drivers are experienced, professional and know the area. Provide an itinerary to the company beforehand so the driver knows where he or she is going and what to expect. When the driver shows up, be sure to communicate any special needs you have.

5. Ask whose responsibility it is to stock the limo with any necessary party favors ahead of time. Some companies will provide everything you need; others expect you to bring your own. Sometimes you can negotiate a lower rate if you offer to stock the bar yourself.

6. Find out if gratuities are included in the rate; regardless, you'll be expected to tip your driver, so try to keep it separate.

Overall Tips:

Make sure your limo is ample enough to fit everyone comfortably. If you have six passengers, get a car that accommodates eight.

If you want premium liquor, negotiate that up front, or plan to bring your own.

Ask if smoking (or other activities) is allowed. Even if it's not, most drivers will look the other way if the price is right.

If it's truly a special occasion, don't be cheap. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for: Most higher-end limo companies have superior drivers, vehicles and accoutrements.

Try to clear everything with your driver in advance. He or she is your captain for the evening and can be your best friend or worst nightmare.

Overall Warnings:

Make sure the limo company and their drivers are properly licensed and insured when making your reservation. This will ensure you are dealing with a reputable company.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Site Design....Site Disaster....What Do Your Visitors See?

So you got your own website now. Exciting isn't it? You're ready to start putting your website to work for you. What will you do first? So many ideas going through your head...you want to make it the best website on the internet. You want to make it unique and different from anyone else's.

So many ideas popping in and out of your head you want to do so much. After all besides things in our home, when do we really get to design anything? Before we know it we have added a little of this and a little of that and maybe some more of this. It's almost like waving a magic wand over everything giving it color and making it pretty. To us, our web site looks great we have color and we have animated graphics we also have a lot of content, after all that is what gets website recognition, isn't it?

But wait, take a closer look, is all that content really necessary? We know google likes content but maybe some of us are confused as to which kind of content google is looking for. I admit, I once thought content is content. But I was very wrong, not all content is created equal. If your website is a business related site then your content should be business related as well. Your content should be interesting and helpful. Something you know your visitors would enjoy. Color and graphics is not useful content.

Many websites have articles on their site. This is probably one of the best contents to have on your site. Most articles are interesting and provide useful information. What makes articles on your site even better? If they are your articles. Articles are not hard to write just pick a subject you are familiar with and write an article about it. Just remember to keep your article topics related to the type of site you have.

Let's talk color, is all that bright color really what our visitors want to see? Some colors are way too bright and can be sensitive to peoples' eyes. If you need to have color make them more down to earth colors not something that is going to make your visitors want to run from your site. Not having any color is also good . Color is optional, just choose it wisely.

Animated graphics, who is guilty of those? I know I am, and it's understandable as they are cute and neat to look at. Or are they? Too many things flashing on your site is not appealing. Also, too many graphics will draw the attention away from what is really important - and that is your text. Your text is your message to your visitors. If you insist on having them on your site then I suggest just having maybe one. Make sure your visitor focuses more on your text, not the graphics.

Another point to keep in mind is "keyword rich text". You want to mention your keywords throughout your website. Every chance you get mention your keywords. Work them into your sentences. When writing articles make sure you add some of your keywords to your article title. This also helps your website get noticed by the SE (search engines).

I write this article because I want everyone to learn from my mistakes. I am guilty of all of the above. It took a new computer to realize how loud my color was (old computer color looked dull) . After realizing how bright it was I panicked. It was like a slap in the face because I thought what an awful color and if I thought that of my own site what were my visitors thinking? I asked the advice of a good friend and thank god this friend is open and honest in her opinions. She helped me to take a step back and really look at my site. My only thoughts were, "What have I been thinking?"

I don't even remember when or how my site got the point it did. I felt like I had this whole other life I knew nothing about and that person was taking over the designing of my site. But thanks to the new computer and my good friend, I have taken the control back of my site and since I have done so the visitors to my site have actually doubled and the length of the visit has also increased. I am back on the road to success.