Lose the Stress, Gain Success

The great paradox of business travel goes like this: The more important the trip, the more you need to be at the top of your game. To be at the top of your game, your mind needs to be focused -- but the more important the trip, the higher potential for stress to interfere with your mental performance. It doesn't matter if you're flying south to Los Angeles or across the map to New York; travel saps your mental and physical energy.

But what if you could visit a stress-free zone where you can refresh while increasing your productivity at the same time? You can, and here's how.

Pockets of fresh air

Business trips begin taxing you before you even leave -- we all know how simple tasks like packing a suitcase or preparing a checklist can surreptitiously drain your energy like vampires -- and if your trip takes you across time zones, you can expect jet lag to slam into you like a brick. So how do you mitigate the stressful effects of travel and prepare yourself for success?

By building moments of mandatory downtime into your schedule. These pockets of fresh air are crucial to maintaining a steady flow of mental and physical energy.

You might be thinking, "I'm too busy and barely have time for all the things I need to get done my trip, there's no way I can afford any downtime."

We say, "There's no way you can afford NOT to schedule downtime." Burning out prematurely on your trip does not bring you success.

One effective way to build downtime into your busy trip is by investing in a Bay Area limo service to handle your ground transportation. It's more than a safe, comfortable ride; it's a period of time where you can stretch out your legs, refresh your mind and prepare for business.

Instead of driving, scouring for a parking spot and lugging your bags down to the terminal, you can sit back and simply enjoy the ride, surf the Web or work on a project.

By eliminating a large chunk of stress from your trip, you open up infinite paths to a happy, successful ending.

However, not every limo service in the Bay Area is created equal, so you need to vet companies for their safety, reliability and consistency. Your experience should begin the moment you visit their website or call their number.

The last thing you want is the process of booking a car service in San Francisco to ADD stress to your trip, so here are some points to carefully consider when hiring a chauffeured car service.

Safety

Your health is worth more than monetary value can express. While most limousine operators run a good service built on stringent safety standards, you should always inquire about the following elements:

Fleet age: How old are the vehicles and how many miles do they have? The newer the models, the more durable and comfortable they are, not to mention they're equipped with more advanced safety features. However, age and mileage aren't always accurate indicators of vehicle safety. Some cars, like the Lincoln Town Car, can perform like new even after hundreds of thousands of miles -- as long as it's properly maintained. Conversely, newer cars that aren't maintained suffer wear-and-tear that compromises the ride quality.

Maintenance: Ask your limo service what their vehicle maintenance schedule is like and what kind of certifications their mechanics have. If they don't have in-house mechanics, ask them where they take their vehicles for maintenance and repairs. An older fleet of well-maintained vehicles can provide the same amount of safety and comfort as a new one.

Chauffeur training: The person behind the wheel possesses ultimate responsibility for your safety because cars cannot yet drive themselves (unless they belong to Google, of course). Ask your Bay Area limo service what kind of training their chauffeurs receive. The chauffeur in charge of transporting you should be a professionally trained expert in safe, smooth driving.

GPS tracking and in-vehicle cameras: Ask your limo service if they use GPS tracking software to monitor vehicle activity or in-vehicle cameras to record incidents. Both are effective tools to ensuring you arrive at your destination safely and on time.

Insurance liability coverage: Chauffeured car services generally carry more insurance than taxi cabs. But some operations might only have a personal policy instead of commercial passenger insurance, so make sure to ask. Policies of at least $1 million are standard throughout the industry to ensure the best coverage for passengers. Consider it a red flag if a company isn't transparent or open about their insurance policies when you inquire.

Reliability

When a car isn't on time, it can throw off your whole schedule. If it doesn't show up at all, that's a catastrophe with potentially irreparable consequences. Your business can suffer grave damage if you miss a flight or show up to a meeting extremely late. Checking customer testimonials and reviews on Yelp, Facebook and other social networks is a great way to gauge a company's reliability because you're getting it from people with first-hand experience.

Consistency of service

If you're a frequent traveler who'll require limo service in the future, you want to choose an executive car service that will deliver the same level of quality service each and every time. Angel Worldwide has the capability to handle your transportation in San Francisco and around the world to provide you a consistent experience on every part of the trip, no matter what city you are in.

Remember, investing in a professional car service to connect all the pieces of your business trip does more than just get you to where you want to be; it's an investment in your time, health and ultimate success.

For more practical tips on making business travel an easy, enjoyable stress-free experience, download our FREE eBook, Tips and Tricks To Becoming an Executive Travel Expert, by clicking the image below.

Image Credit: freedigitalphotos.net/Ambro