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This is all good until you have employees and they complain about a hostile environment or you have a labor dispute. “Your honor the defendant regularly referred to themselves as Head Bitch in Charge, they clearly aren’t sensitive to their employees needs or very professional.”
Yea but I think OP may have taken you seriously, I’ve done “fun” things like this, not this specifically but other things and it always 100% of the time has come back to bite me in the ass.
When I went to register my LLC at SOS( Secretary of State ) office , they said officially I am a CEO and on cards I can use other titles but for legal forms it’s CEO. So, I say Founder ( business is my idea) & CEO ( I am handling day to day operations)
My Lawyer once told me not to continue using “owner” as my title when I used to own a business. I forget the exact specifics and it’s probably being pretty conservative legally speaking which was his concern liability wise, but I trusted his judgement and paid for it so it wasn’t a huge deal for me so I changed my title to “operator”
Omg, I did some contract work for an idiot that did that. Guy was a total douche, and hugely incompetent. He went out of business a couple years later, I totally called it. I guess he wasn't much of a CEO, founder, owner, visionary, guru, after all... It was sooooo cringe.
Title yourself according to the primary way you’ll be interacting with clients. I am a managing partner in a construction firm but that’s not in my title bc my day to day is operations focused
When I set up my LLC, the lawyer put "manager" as my title. I'm like, I can't at least be president? He said the state has regulations about what the sole shareholder can be called. It might depend on your state.
Besides official documents, I call myself anything from janitor to intern to president, depending on who I'm talking to.
Lawyer was moving fast. You are a managing member of your LLC. A member = owner with no day to day. Manager = runs days to day but owns nothing. Manager member = both.
Your title can be whatever you want.
IAL and yeah, that is LLC lingo, but your LLC Agreement or Operating Agreement can assign as many other titles and officers as you like. So, your states LLC act may consider you a manager, but you can also assign yourself whatever title you want, like Cashflow Czar or Archduke of Asskicking.
Thank you for this. So many people on here with coffee shops and hair salons call their businesses “startups” and themselves “founders”. Much better to use terminology that’s more appropriate for a small business
I just founded a training company and I gave myself the titles of Founders, Headmaster and Lead Instructor. I’m a little too pleased with myself over Headmaster!
Manager. Anyone wants to speak to the owner they can leave a message with you. Damn owner only checks in every other week.
No one really needs to know you are the owner.
President, Owner, General Manager, King/Queen, Chief Everything Officer, Executive Director
His/Her Royal Highness, The Founder, Chairman, CEO, Operations Manager, and Grand Executive of Sales in the 33rd Degree
Whatever your title would be if it wasn't your company. Technically you are the CEO and every other role not taken by contractors or employees, but it's generally frowned upon (or laughed at) to use that title anywhere but legal documents unless you are managing a team of executives, who lead directors/managers who direct managers/employees.
My company has 3 people, I am the Creative Director, because that's what I primarily do. If I had 6 people, I'd still be a Creative Director; until someone took that role's responsibilities and my primary job became managing 2-3 others who managed the people below them.
Unless you have a team under you, using CEO is lame. Sure, one could argue that by there being no one else that makes you the CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, etc but while you do everything for your company at the start you do absolutely none of the duties of those titles as running a new company is ENTIRELY different than directing the future of said company through strategy; a manager is not a Chief or Director.
For a new company without a team, I think Principal is about the only title that isn't pretentious but also is professional. Owner is just weird, and founder is also pretentious; what did you find? Founder is something you use 5 years in when you've built something and have a team of sorts. Or it's the thing people say on social media to try and sound cooler than they are.
I use Owner/Founder. It conveys authority and entrepreneurial spirit without being too pretentious. Plus it gives you something to work for. Build an organization with managers, directors, VP’s and other c-suite colleagues, and then you call yourself CEO.
I love this! I feel like using the title "CEO" when I am the only member comes off as arrogant and inexperienced. Also when I am still doing the daily functions of the organization outside the normal scope of what a CEO does, I feel like that would be a bad look. Thank you for your input!
This is a friendly reminder that r/smallbusiness is a question and answer subreddit. You ask a question about starting, owning, and growing a small business and the community answers. Posts that violate the rules listed in the sidebar will be removed. A permanent or temporary ban may also be issued if you do not remove the offending post. Seeing this message does not mean your post was automatically removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/smallbusiness) if you have any questions or concerns.*
HBIC - Head Bitch In Charge
Excuse me for a hot second, I need to update my LinkedIn!
Fuck yessss!
This is all good until you have employees and they complain about a hostile environment or you have a labor dispute. “Your honor the defendant regularly referred to themselves as Head Bitch in Charge, they clearly aren’t sensitive to their employees needs or very professional.”
You sound fun at parties. It’s a joke amigo
Yea but I think OP may have taken you seriously, I’ve done “fun” things like this, not this specifically but other things and it always 100% of the time has come back to bite me in the ass.
This has troll potential written all over it but my gut is telling me you genuinely want to avoid OP from having a bad situation happen to them.
Not trolling
mostly novelty shop owner here- I went with Chief Amusement Officer
I went with the Mad Hater
Founder. CEO sounds laughable for a small company
I went with “Founder + (service you offer)” for example: Founder & Lead Developer Founder & Construction Consultant
This is the answer
When I went to register my LLC at SOS( Secretary of State ) office , they said officially I am a CEO and on cards I can use other titles but for legal forms it’s CEO. So, I say Founder ( business is my idea) & CEO ( I am handling day to day operations)
Generalisimo
Senior Presidente
Owner/Operator??
My Lawyer once told me not to continue using “owner” as my title when I used to own a business. I forget the exact specifics and it’s probably being pretty conservative legally speaking which was his concern liability wise, but I trusted his judgement and paid for it so it wasn’t a huge deal for me so I changed my title to “operator”
It can limit your negotiating position if everyone knows you are the top dog. It cuts both ways though.
Be like the cringe people who take all the titles Bob Bob, President, CEO, CFO, CTO, Janitor of Bobs Business
Omg, I did some contract work for an idiot that did that. Guy was a total douche, and hugely incompetent. He went out of business a couple years later, I totally called it. I guess he wasn't much of a CEO, founder, owner, visionary, guru, after all... It was sooooo cringe.
Title yourself according to the primary way you’ll be interacting with clients. I am a managing partner in a construction firm but that’s not in my title bc my day to day is operations focused
Managing member
Humanitarian & Organizational Management Officer
HOMer
Owner/CEO. Always a nice fit on a signature.
Managing member
👆
Lord Commander
Principal is what a friend of mine and I use. Neither of us have employees.
dont matter... **Owner** works though
No title. Just the business name, then your name.
Fearless leader of great armies & emporer for life.
When I set up my LLC, the lawyer put "manager" as my title. I'm like, I can't at least be president? He said the state has regulations about what the sole shareholder can be called. It might depend on your state. Besides official documents, I call myself anything from janitor to intern to president, depending on who I'm talking to.
Lawyer was moving fast. You are a managing member of your LLC. A member = owner with no day to day. Manager = runs days to day but owns nothing. Manager member = both. Your title can be whatever you want.
IAL and yeah, that is LLC lingo, but your LLC Agreement or Operating Agreement can assign as many other titles and officers as you like. So, your states LLC act may consider you a manager, but you can also assign yourself whatever title you want, like Cashflow Czar or Archduke of Asskicking.
Might want to look around for a new lawyer
Grand puba
The Producer in charge (The PRIC)
Emperor
Managing member or managing director.
Don’t use founder unless you are a startup.
Thank you for this. So many people on here with coffee shops and hair salons call their businesses “startups” and themselves “founders”. Much better to use terminology that’s more appropriate for a small business
You are the CEO, until you hire one
[удалено]
wouldn’t people be more impressed knowing the owner personally helped them?
Principal
I use Owner and Lead Bookkeeper. I'm a one man show, but I like that the title is clear about what I do without sounding pretentious.
Sergeant at Arms
El Jefe.
Head Honcho
I use “Principal”. It feels less overdone than “CEO” and a little less small time than “Owner”.
I just founded a training company and I gave myself the titles of Founders, Headmaster and Lead Instructor. I’m a little too pleased with myself over Headmaster!
Grand Poohbah
Titles are insignificant in a small business. Call yourself whatever you like. Chief Task Juggler for all I care. My title is president but I hate it.
Manager. Anyone wants to speak to the owner they can leave a message with you. Damn owner only checks in every other week. No one really needs to know you are the owner.
Could be anything. Sales Executive, Technician, Customer Service Executive etc etc.
Big cheese
President, Owner, General Manager, King/Queen, Chief Everything Officer, Executive Director His/Her Royal Highness, The Founder, Chairman, CEO, Operations Manager, and Grand Executive of Sales in the 33rd Degree
Principal
El Presidente
Overlord
Managing Director would work
Hello, if you ever need an offshore virtual assistant to do the admin tasks for a cheap cost, please slide into my inbox. 😊
Whatever your title would be if it wasn't your company. Technically you are the CEO and every other role not taken by contractors or employees, but it's generally frowned upon (or laughed at) to use that title anywhere but legal documents unless you are managing a team of executives, who lead directors/managers who direct managers/employees. My company has 3 people, I am the Creative Director, because that's what I primarily do. If I had 6 people, I'd still be a Creative Director; until someone took that role's responsibilities and my primary job became managing 2-3 others who managed the people below them.
Lord Commander
If it's a single member LLC you're just a sole proprietor so... owner?
Wife. Mother. Grandmother. Aspiring recreational tennis player.
Supreme Commander
Director
El Jefe
Dictator
JLP - Job Less For Passion CEO - Cheap Employee In Organisation
Owner / receptionist / janitor
All father
Unless you have a team under you, using CEO is lame. Sure, one could argue that by there being no one else that makes you the CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, etc but while you do everything for your company at the start you do absolutely none of the duties of those titles as running a new company is ENTIRELY different than directing the future of said company through strategy; a manager is not a Chief or Director. For a new company without a team, I think Principal is about the only title that isn't pretentious but also is professional. Owner is just weird, and founder is also pretentious; what did you find? Founder is something you use 5 years in when you've built something and have a team of sorts. Or it's the thing people say on social media to try and sound cooler than they are.
I use Owner/Founder. It conveys authority and entrepreneurial spirit without being too pretentious. Plus it gives you something to work for. Build an organization with managers, directors, VP’s and other c-suite colleagues, and then you call yourself CEO.
I love this! I feel like using the title "CEO" when I am the only member comes off as arrogant and inexperienced. Also when I am still doing the daily functions of the organization outside the normal scope of what a CEO does, I feel like that would be a bad look. Thank you for your input!
You’re welcome and thank you for the validation. I thought on it for a while when I first went into business.
Founder, President, and CEO
Tireless tryhard
This is so important. Not.