The title clash: what should I call myself?

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When starting a business, it’s easy to think of yourself simply as “the boss”, but company owners often struggle to settle upon a title for themselves and their employees. Your title is an important consideration to make, however, as it will reflect the way in which your role in the company is viewed.

Having set up your business, you have earned the right to give yourself the title of your choice, but ask yourself the following questions before you settle on your moniker:

Are you a Managing Director or a CEO?

The difference between the two is actually minimal, but ‘Managing Director’ is traditionally the preferred term here in the UK, while CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is more common in the U.S. For this reason, it may be worth considering your target markets here; if you wish to reach out to American businesses or customers and approach them in person, bear in mind that you might be able to make more of a connection with them by using the title CEO, which is still understood in the UK even if not as widely used in the world of SMEs.

Should founding be the focus?

Some business owners prefer to shun such formal titles and simply call themselves the ‘Founder’ of their company, which is a good way to promote yourself as an entrepreneur and somebody able to combine the inspiration of starting a business with the perspiration of running it. It can give the impression that you’re somebody who oversees matters rather than a person who likes to get their hands dirty, however, so give some thought as to what kind of statement you want to give out.

The term ‘President’ is another option, and is another way to make a connection on the other side of the Atlantic. For an SME owner, however, it can appear a little grandiose, so this is perhaps one to consider as and when your company grows.

The title and your time

Whatever title you settle upon for yourself, you don’t want it to be ‘dogs body’ and you should always be looking at ways you can do more by doing less. Outsourcing accounting tasks to a reputable firm like Sollertia is one way to minimise the number of administrative headaches you need to get through on a day-to-day basis. That way, the CEO can execute tasks and the managing director can both manage and direct with minimal interruption.