In Entrepreneurship you have the freedom to put whatever you want on your business card. The job position you choose will show your audience a glimpse of what they can expect from you and your company.
Here are few titles for consideration with it’s positive & negative impacts.
DIRECTOR :
Positive:- Doesn’t indicate the size of your business; fairly innocuous.
Negative:- Can indicate that you don’t really know who you are yet, and your business is still developing.
OWNER :
Positive:- Clearly states your role in the business.
Negative:- Can indicate that your business is very small or your ego is very large.
PRESIDENT :
Positive:- By definition, president means “one who sits in leadership”.
Negative:- If you are the president, but the only employee – you’re sending a mixed message.
CEO/CFO :
Positive:- Shows that your company is very large, and you answer to a board of directors.
Negative:- Shows that your company is very large, and you answer to a board of directors.
HEAD MECKYMUCK / KING GEEK :
Positive:- Shows that you have a sense of humor, and a fun organization.
Negative:- Can show that you don’t take your business seriously.
What do you have on your card, and why did you choose it?
Note:-
This is my 1st post here so plz forgive me for any mistake and writing skill.
Thank You !
Anamika Joshi
Welcome Pushpak..some great points you have mentioned… I use “Creative Head” in my biz card while in my other communication (online – which is how I mostly communicate with my clients/associates), I use “Creative Head cum Managing Partner”. As I am partner when it comes to business and Creative Head when it comes to explaining my role in the business.
I really liked the below point:
CEO/CFO :
Positive:- Shows that your company is very large, and you answer to a board of directors.
Negative:- Shows that your company is very large, and you answer to a board of directors.
Excellent debut post! Thanks for sharing. Keep writing 🙂
Sudarsan Ravi
I actually broke my head quite a bit while choosing the title.
Founder and CEO – Founder indicates the passion I bring to the table, CEO indicates that the buck stops with me.
In my email signature, I have a second line – Product Manager|RippleHire.
Good start. Please keep writing.
Dr Saurabh Bhatia
If you are a pvt ltd company, then being a director or Managing director is a legal status. Do not use it if you have not yet got your DIN from govt of India. This is because big companies may, at the time of empanelling you, like to check you out from ROC and your status as a director is public and verifiable. If you are not listed on ROC site, then you cut a sorry figure.
For being a Managing Director, a Board Resolution is mandatory, duly passed by Board of Directors (sometimes a mockery when you force your wife to sign on it while she’s cooking, coz she n U are the only directors, but it is important all the same).
CEO: Please remember that CEO is an employee of the company. Being a CEO does not indicate that you are going to remain in this company. There is every chance that you may leave and move on to next company. Further, it also shows that you draw a salary. If you are the founder then I feel it is important to show that you are committed there and merely CEO will not cut ice with me.
Lastly, the nature of your biz also counts. Frivolity is looked down upon in my domain, and some other traditional domains (Healthcare, finance, audit, Big 4 consultancy…) and I use “Managing Director” to imply the total seriousness needed there. I guess you will need to judge this as per your industry norms, too.
Pankaj Upadhyay
Hi Guys, what your view if a person write Founder or concept owner or MD & CEO ???? please suggest..
Pankaj Upadhyay
Dr. Saurabh, great explanation…. Thanks
Pushpak Deshmukh
Thank you Anamika madam for encouraging me to write.
Pushpak Deshmukh
Thank you…I’ll try to keep writing.
Pushpak Deshmukh
gr8 explained info sir..
asha chaudhry
pushpak,
have you come across any funky/unconventional/creative biz cards with unconventional titles?
would be nice if you shared some here! let me see if i can pull something out for you – i remember alok posting a pic of cyrus oshidar’s biz card – can’t remember what the title said though…
let’s see if any rodinhooders can add to this list 🙂
Pushpak Deshmukh
No Asha madam, I never come across any funky/creative biz card coz I am new in biz line and also from the city where most of the people don’t know how to promote thr biz & don’t like to be in contact for long.. ..(as per my thinking)..
I am thinking of to use “contact person” as job title on my business card as I am a founder/ceo/cfo/cto of my company..If you have any creative or proper idea about biz card then plz give it to me.
Also you can suggest “contact person” is right or not?
Venkatesh Thallam
Nice post :):)
Then what should be the title for a founder of a start up with 5 employees?
Praveen Prabhu
Loved the post &was reminded of the dilemma we faced at foradian.com
It was fun though conjuring up fancy titles that we had earlier dreamed about & reality struck when the customers expected us to behave in the manner as written on the card.
We had our ups & the downs, but i believe we did justice to it in hindsight.
Arun Kumar Waghchoure
Awesome post, intuitive thinking
What is your positive and negative take on
Pushpak Deshmukh
Dear Arun,
From my point of view…..
CO-FOUNDER:
POSITIVE: You or your partner have an idea of your business.
NEGATIVE: You or partner need eachother’s help to execute an idea properly.
BUSINESS PARTNER:
SAME AS CO-FOUNDER
PROMOTER:
POSITIVE: Clearly Indicate your work.
NEGATIVE: Seems your work is limited to just promote a product/service.
MD:
POSITIVE: Managing ‘director’.
NEGATIVE: What are you really managing ‘director’ ?
PROPRIETOR:
AS SAME AS OWNER
Pushpak Deshmukh
Dear Venkatesh
go for “contact person” as a title.