“Start with this: Don’t think too much.
That’s the advice Richard Arnold offers first when it comes to choosing job titles for startups. As owner (his title) of Key Concept Services, Inc., in Atlanta, Ga., Arnold has a small cadre of business consultants who help companies with organization and procedure development.
“A new business should stay away from titles like CEO and COO. President and owner work just fine,” says Arnold, whose SendOutCards team keeps businesses in constant communication with their customers through greeting cards and postcard messages.
For James Lim, founder and interim CEO of Haamonii Smooth, titles reflect the potential growth of his company. “Your title should not only fit your current role, but also your future role,” says Lim, whose San Francisco-based company is introducing the world’s first ultra premium shochu, a distilled rice liquor similar to vodka. “By giving myself the interim CEO title, I show to investors that I realistically recognize my role in the business as founder, but not the CEO.”
The Name Game
What may seem like incongruous advice from these two entrepreneurs isn’t at all. Each one is demonstrating that titles need to be consistent with a company’s goals and objectives. The title of owner is very appropriate for a business, like Arnold’s, that deals directly with clients. “My experience is most people you build business relationships with over the long haul could give a crap about what your title is,” he says.
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