What is your job title?

What to put on a business card ...

[smeegel]

So you're a webmaster owning your own company. What do you put as your job title on a business card?

I want it to be techinical yet also express the fact that I own the company and call the shots.

Some options:
Web Developer/Webmaster etc: This makes it sound like I'm a low level worker who takes direction from someone else

Business Analyst:? Expresses that I deal with clients but doesnt say anything about technical skills ...

What do you all think?

[storevalley]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld smeegel :)

How about Technical Director?

[rcjordan]

>techinical yet also express the fact that I own the company and call the shots.

Try just your primary marketing domain, name, and email address. I also like having an email address based on a separate domain for your name alone, i.e. [e-mail].

And don't scrimp on the card stock.

[eWhisper]

And don't scrimp on the card stock.

This is very good advice, if I see home made cheap business cards, they get immediately thrown away.

I've seen some webmasters who's business name is technical, use President as their title.

Name
President
Marketing Solutions, Inc.

This way clients also think they are bypassing the little people and going straight to the top and dealing with someone who can get things done for them.

[benihana]

a very small company i used to work for, the boss had two lots of cards printed, one saying sales advisor, and one saying director. he could then produce which ever was more relevent at any given time.

ben

[krieves]

Owner or Prinicpal.

[Michael Anthony]

I read a great story about this once, where a forward looking business decided that job titles were unnecessary. One of the staff insisted that a job title and business card were needed for an important high level meeting, and told her boss that the title needed to impress the potential client with her importance and seniority.

The next day she came into the office to find a pile of business cards on her desk, with the job title, Supreme Commander!

BTW, speegel, if I were you I would get onto VistaPrint, they produce around 200 cards free, you just pay for postage. Good quality too, and you design it online.

As to what you call yourself, how about just having your name?

[choster]

Another anecdote: a friend of a friend printed "Executive Vice President" on his cards. Anybody can rent a post office box and become "president," but a company with an executive VP must be better established, right :-)?

[pleeker]

I'm with rcjordan -- why limit yourself to a label? I'd skip a title altogether.

But if you feel you need to do it, President, Owner would work. Maybe Managing Director. Or you could be creative and go with "The Boss". On my hobby site, which has a staff page listing all the people who contribute, I list myself as "In Charge of Being In Charge." :)

[bcolflesh]

My card says:

Psychic Overlord
I'll call you.

[Fenceman]

I wouldn't bother with the title. As a matter of fact, I don't. My face is the only one that clients ever see, so what does it matter what I call myself?

[anallawalla]

I suggest "CTO".

I know an owner who carried cards with some lower title such as "Assistant Manager" to avoid being tagged as a prospective customer at trade shows.

Some CEOs carry "right pocket" and "left pocket" business cards if they carry them at all. Right pocket for the right people and left pocket for the pests. The latter contains the switchboard number and the former includes the direct line and mobile phone number.

[paladin]

I just go with "Consultant", which seems to work for me

[Compworld]

Chief Dish & Bottle Washer.

:)

CompWorld

[globay]

Some time ago, there was a discussion about job titles. It might be of help:
[webmasterworld.com...]

[mep00]

I used to have a friend who called himself a "Porfessional Media Distrabution Engineer." As I recall, he was around 25 at the time, so I can't say I blame him for not wanting to still be called a paperboy.

[sidyadav]

I'd go with "CEO":
Cheif Executive Officer

the most top position of all ,and sounds kind'a professional.

Sid
btw, welcome to webmasterworld! (where are my manners!)

[edited by: sidyadav at 2:19 pm (utc) on Jan. 11, 2004]

[Web Footed Newbie]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, smeegel!

If you have employees, go with President.

If you don't have employees, go with Owner.

IN either case, use a two-sided business card. On one side, your domain and contact information, with a spiffy graphic logo and a great tag line under the graphic that touches on your primary target and the service you offer.

On the other side of the card, list major services offered, with a brief explanation of what they are. The reason for this is easy; some people have no idea what SEO is, so explain it in simple terms. "XYZ Company offers the following services... SEO (explanation), Link Development (explanation), internet marketing (explanation), etc. etc.

HTH, WFN :)

[gene02]

try IT admin.
But as a business owner I dont care what I call you if you do the job correct the first time I will call you again.

[quotations]

I still have cards that say:

Director of Disruptive Innovation

but I had some printed recently which say

Sales Manager

and there is a set which say

Managing Director

and another set which say

Operations Manager

To get the "I know the technology business" message across, would use

Chief Technologist or Chief Technology Officer

[hannamyluv]

Oh, I always wanted the title of a Yahoo speaker I heard once. She was Lead Surfer. ;-)

[ThomasB]

I just have "Business Development" beyond my name. I think that's what all of us are doing and nobody knows if you're the boss or just an employee if you don't want them to know.

[bluelook]

I donīt use any title either. I just have my Company services and of course, all my contacts.

[CMwebmaster]

Am I the only one whose title is still "Webmaster"?

It is a bit 90's, but it works.

[sidyadav]

CMwebmaster, have look at #msg 1 of this thread:

Some options:
Web Developer/Webmaster etc: This makes it sound like I'm a low level worker who takes direction from someone else

;)

Sid

[mep00]

Web Developer/Webmaster etc: This makes it sound like I'm a low level worker who takes direction from someone else

"Webmaster" does sound like you work for someone else. However, if your representing a client and not yourself it may be appropriate.

As far as "Web Developer" goes, especially if your name is part of your URL, I think it sounds like an independent consultant.

[Shane]

Daytime: Senior Business Planner
Evenings and Weekends: General Manager

[percentages]

I don't have any business cards:( Only been running the show for four years....never seen a need for 'em;)

I trade on the Internet....which is where my clients better be trading also......what the heck do I need bits of paper for?

As for title in non printed form: Well you could use CEO, President, Owner, Senior Technical Consultant, Development Director, Managing Director, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer....it really doesn't make any difference;)

Personally I like "Mr President", "Boris The Invincible" and "The Magic Man".

You will stand or fall based upon your abilities, ego, commitment and self confidence (in no specific order).

Titles are for the insecure, call yourself anything but "The Insecure Guy" and you will be off to a good start!

[ogletree]

President

[Rossv1]

The IT department at my company consists of two people - the Network Admin and me. There was no title when I got hired, so I decided that makes me the 'Senior Web Developer'