Limousines

Why it's important: Chauffeured car fleets catering to the business elite will see less business during a downturn.

Outlook: Nationally, business is down about 10%, but for companies that primarily served financial firms, the drop-off is much steeper, says Richard Kane, president of the National Limousine Assn. and owner of International Limousine Service in Washington. "They're just demoralized right now," he says of chauffeur firms in New York and Boston that focused on financial clients. "They're getting wiped out. Their business is off 40% to 50%." Kane says the people still going to work continue to use car services, but business evaporates with layoffs and bankruptcies.

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