Part time limo business start up

I would like to buy one limo and work part time mainly summer months on the weekends and evening sometimes. I do not know anything about the business. How much I have to pay for insurance, aproximately, for 10 seats limo 1990? Give me just an idea. After I buy the limo , do I have to register the business anywhere? What are the first steps to set a business? Where can I find information, any book, brouchure or any place that I can read about starting a business. I have no idea how much will cost me to maintain this limo. Is there are any other expenses besides the insurance, gas, and repair? Please help me.
Thanks.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in the words of the prophet, it aint going to work.
I would suggest that you learn as much as possible about the business by working, even part time to start with with a limousine company. You will find out very fast that it is not a part time business, and you will not have to spend/waste your own money to find that out. A 1990 limousine will not hack it as a new operator, some municipalities have a law that only allows five or six year old limousines on the road.
Join your local association and the NLA, subscribe to the two trade journals, the first step to the learning process.
I wish you well
Dick Hall

I agree. Based on the information provided, it sounds like you are hoping to start a limo service as a "summer job". In the words of Mr. Hall, "it ain't gonna work."

Running a limo service is a 24-hour/7-day a week task. Expect long hours and expect to be drained of your capital if you intend on starting from scratch with a vehicle that is 10 years old.

It CAN be done and I am proof. I started with one used limousine working weekends. The secret is organizational skills. I would not buy a 10 year old car....but you can find a 3 or 4 year old car at a good price. Make it a white 10 passenger. Join your local association and NETWORK your butt off. If you can establish yourself as 100% reliable with a nice, clean car, you should be able to make some decent part-time income. However, I don't think the only wanting to do it in the summer will work. You need to establish yourself with the other companies on a year-round basis. Rather then go on----email me if you want more of my wisdom.

PS. I still have one limo, but I've added two sedans. My wife handles my phones during the work day and YES, I do hold down a full time job.

Well, he did specify part-time, during the summer...

It could work, but anyone with any grip of business accumen in *this* business should agree that if he does it as stated, he'll die a slow death doing it.

I've seen successes at it, but I've unfortunately seen more than enough failures. The bad one are the guys who go ga-ga over a car, jump in the deep end, no plan, no startegy, no nothing but their life-savings. Shortly thereafter, they don't even have any hope left to at least believe in themselves. They sit stagnant in a business they can't promote, and worse still, can't make it attractive enough to sell and bail out. They were all "part-time" operations.

Why would anyone want to go into a business they no absolutely nothing about? I like to see folks get into the business, but be prepared. Get so know-how first-hand, first. You don't want to be like others here who cry and complain about every nuance of the business world that they are still learning.

Yes! Finally a Part-Timer has come forth who made a success of their operation. I definitely would be interested in hearing more about what made your Part Time venture turn into a success.

Honestly, you are the only one I've heard to have success as a Part-Time operator. I'm sure there are many in this forum would like to here your additional thoughts on making it workable into a viable, income producing business while holding down a Full-Time job.

Aren't you burning the candle at both ends?
Michael

I am 56 years old and will be retiring soon and wish to work for at least a few years more. The Limosine bussiness appeals to me because I don't mind driving no matter what the conditions are and no problem bing nice to people. I confess I know nothing about the Limosine Bussiness at all. What I imagine is that if I got a car that I would like to do weddings and funerals and slowly get it about that I would be avaiable for other jobs. If the bussiness expanded, so be it, I have managed bussiness all my life. Is this something that sounds possible? Also I read in one of these responses that one should get a job at a Limo Company and learn the bussiness. What qualifications are required? The other question I have is what about these radio limo services of which we have so many in NY where a dispatcher puts out the various calls. Is that something that I should consider and putting in 10 hours a day what kind of living can be made in the radio limo biz?. Thanks for the help and advice in advance. Pat