Say you've got a start-up business and you're not a company, you're just an Internet company, not registered or anything. What titles do you give to people in the team, in the management team? Like what title would give to the person who is in charge of marketing the busines? And to the person who is in charge of finance and the technology side of things, such as coding the site, managing the web servers etc?

The reason why I'm asking is, I wanted to see what other businesses have called their employees, or management team. Such as "Director of..." and "Cheif... Officer", are those used only in incorporated companies??

Alan

Hi, you can pretty much call them whatever you want, the term "Director" is usually used for incorporated companies as LLC/LTD companies usually have Directors.

The following usually apply

Sales Manager
Marketing Manager
Technical Consultant
Network Operations Consultant
Chief Technical Officer (CTO)

etc... ask each employee to come up with their own appropriate job title, some people take pleasure in their job titles :-)

Thanks...

I like the "Marketing Manager"... but for a person who is in charge of coding everything, setting up the servers and website, "Technical Consultant" just doesn't cut it? The word 'consultant' just seems very part time to the company.

Can other's post what job titles they have in their NONE incorporated companies? Or if anyone has any other suggestions for the two areas of 'marketing' and 'technical' jobs, I'll appreciate it, if you can post them.

Alan

a coder is usually a "Software Engineer"

people that purely configure network are sometimes known as a "Network Operations Manager"

but for a person who is in charge of coding everything, setting up the servers and website
These are all roles of a Systems Administrator or Server Administrator. Of course, as xstrike mentioned, you can call them whatever you like. ;)

Originally posted by Eric_Echter
Of course, as xstrike mentioned, you can call them whatever you like. ;) You can, but if you want to avoid confusion there are some guidelines worth following -- because words have specific meanings. "Consultant" implies that the holder of that title is not an employee of the company; or as an employee is "farmed out" as a consultant to other companies. Titles with "Officer" in them imply that the holder of the title is an officer of the corporation, so they're not entirely appropriate for use in an unincorporated organization.

In some jurisdictions I've heard there might be regulations about use of terms like "President," but I've never seen an irrefutable source of that information.

"Consultant" implies that the holder of that title is not an employee of the company
That's not at all true. I think you are thinking of the term "contractor".

Originally posted by Eric_Echter

That's not at all true. I think you are thinking of the term "contractor". No, I am not. You quoted only half of my sentence; "consultant" implies one of two things: a non-employee acting in an advisory (consultative) role (the usage for which "contractor" is often substituted), or an employee who acts in an advisory role outside the company.

The title "Sales Consultant," for example, is often used by organizations that pay their sales staff as contractors rather than as employees. A title like "Marketing Consultant" is often used by marketing firms to refer to employees who act as "expert advisors" to the firms' clients. And yes, sometimes "Sales Consultant" is used in that way as well.

"Implies" does not imply that the term might not be used at times in a different capacity. "Implies" implies that if you use the term people may infer that common usage. People like, for example, the IRS, which uses it that way: From http://www.irs.gov/prod/bus_info/tax_pro/irm-part/part04/27598b.html: "What positions are involved in selecting merchandise to be carried? Who tests the potential merchandise? Who negotiates the price? Were third party buyers used directly or as consultants? What other functions do those individual perform? "

"Directly" implies "as your agents; in your employ." Contrast "as consultants," implying "not as your employees."

From http://www.irs.gov/prod/bus_info/tax_pro/irm-part/part07/35964b.html: "Payments to consultants by a private foundation for personal services performed in the development of model curricula and design of educational materials to aid the foundation in its program activity of assisting educators to employ improved educational methods are not grants... "

"Payments to consultants..." Contrast "payments made to your employees..."

All of the information you have graciously contributed to this thread is great, if you work for the IRS. However, I was simply stating that the term "consultant" does not necessarily imply what you originally posted. An employer can have a consultant of any kind. For example, an employer may choose to give an employee the title of "technical consultant" and this person may consult upper management of any technical issues. This person, more than likely, works only for the employer and nobody else. Hence, the reason for my post stating that you were not entirely correct in your original post.

Originally posted by Eric_Echter
All of the information you have graciously contributed to this thread is great, if you work for the IRS. However, I was simply stating that the term "consultant" does not necessarily imply what you originally posted.Sure; as I said in agreement with you (and xtstrike) above, you can use any title you want. Personally, I was once Minister of Communication. But as I also... um, implied... in my original post, if you want to avoid confusion it's a good idea to use as a guideline the way other organizations use the terminology -- and that's pretty much in line with what what ho247 was asking at the start of the thread. The IRS is a pretty well-known and influential organization, so the way they use a term might be taken as a vote of confidence for that particular usage.

I was tempted to question the value and clarity of the phrase "necessarily imply," but I suppose I've been argumentative enough for one day already!

LOL, we got a bit off topic near the end here... thanks JayC for getting back on topic.

I like the term Network Operations Manager :).

But the title I'm looking for should cover, programming, constructing the website (note that I said *constructing* and not designing), managing the web servers and making sure that the website etc all works and running efficiently. So far, no one has really suggested a title that could even be considered for use.

For the marketing, I've nearly settled on "Marketing Manager", but I'll love to hear other's for the marketing side too.

Thanks,
Alan

OK, so you're nearly settled on "Marketing Manager," and need a companion for that for the other position... and "Network Operations Manager" is too limited in scope for the job description of that position. Then perhaps just "Operations Manager."

Another suggestion, perhaps a little more ostentatious: Director of Marketing, and Director of Operations (that's my title -- well, one of my titles -- so I'm partial).

Or, Marketing Director and Operations Director (sometimes I use that one, because it sounds less stuffy to me for some reason. But the business card says DofO).

Technical Manager
Systems Engineer

"Supreme Commander" has a nice ring to it!:D

As does grandmaster sexy.

I think Chief Technical Officer would be good. Maybe Systems Development Manager, or somehting like that.

The "Supreme Commander" reports to "The Big Giant Head" right? :D

Im getting a new title :-)

First Unit Command Knowledge - Multiplexed Engineer

It also checks out good as an acronym :D

How about system analyst. Thats what I am and all I do is help windowz loosers with there issues (usually just involves a reboot though) lol..

Operations Director and Marketing Director I like, but would that be an appropriate title for a company that maybe is not registered/incorporated and has only a few employees?

CTO (Chief Technical Officer), now that's what I thought of, but titles with Chief in it are for people who are at the top of a group of people, who have to report to the CTO.

Operations Manager could also be used, but it sounds like you're juse 'managing' everything, so it doesn't include the actual building of it all, but I think that could work, since when all coding is done, all there is left to do in a company is to manage it. BUT the title does sound to include the job of updating the coding and to improve it, get my point? :)

I want a name that is not too 'company based', like CEO, President etc, and something that has a wider job range to the title. But I'm not looking for something like "Headsurfer" either, lol, it needs to be something that is known to people and sounds WAY cool :D .

Alan

Originally posted by ho247
Operations Director and Marketing Director I like, but would that be an appropriate title for a company that maybe is not registered/incorporated and has only a few employees?I wouldn't think those two would be too corporate. There's a distinction between being a Director of a Corporation -- that is, a member of the Board of Directors -- and the usage for a management title. Those are titles for the people who direct the operational and marketing activities, respectively, of the organization.

So I don't they'd imply "registered or incorporated," but on the other hand they do say "upper management" which might not be what you want for a small company.

CTO has even more of an upper management ring. It's generally an executive-level position; in the corporate world a CTO has a big desk and a corner office and has moved beyond coding, server admin, etc. It's Chief Technical Officer because that person is an officer in the corporation, similar to a President or Vice President.
Operations Manager could also be used, but it sounds like you're juse 'managing' everything, so it doesn't include the actual building of it all, but I think that could work, since when all coding is done, all there is left to do in a company is to manage it. BUT the title does sound to include the job of updating the coding and to improve it, get my point? :)Yep. Think, for example of "database manager." That person manages a database; it's a technical position. So "manager" doesn't always mean you don't really do anything. ;)

Originally posted by JayC
Yep. Think, for example of "database manager." That person manages a database; it's a technical position.
Just for the sake of argument, a "database manager" is usually referred to as a tool used to manage a database. A "database administrator" is more often used as a term for the person who works with the databases. :D

Originally posted by xtstrike
a coder is usually a "Software Engineer"

Only if you also call welders "civil engineers". A "software engineer" is nowhere near the level of a "software architect" (or a "systems architect"), but it's well above the level of a "bit pusher".

Great, thanks for all your help people.

Originally, I had decided on using Marketing Director and IT Director, but I think I will change these to "Marketing Manager" and "Operations Manager". These both sounds like good positions, and when a small company grows, the titles can obviously be 'upgraded' to more senior and company style titles.

Alan

Originally posted by Eric_Echter

Just for the sake of argument, a "database manager" is usually referred to as a tool used to manage a database. A "database administrator" is more often used as a term for the person who works with the databases. :D I see. You just like to argue.

Which title is used most frequently is not at issue, so there's no argument -- sorry. "Database manager" is used by many firms as a job title; it is, as I used it, a valid example as a technical job title with the word "manager" in it.

Originally posted by cperciva
but it's well above the level of a "bit pusher".

LOL. Or a "stack popper".

Some job titles among the techie working class tend to be highly subjective and don't necessarily have much meaning outside a particular company. A "software engineer" means something quite different to a small consulting firm than it does to, say, Lockheed Martin. There's no standard by which to measure these terms that I've noticed.

LOL...

Can someone tell me what a Managing Director actually does?

Alan

Does no one know the exact job of a Managing Director?

What does "Director" mean, in terms of a job?

After thinking about "Operations Manager", I've just read the posts again and thought that I just *liked* the sound of it, but I wanted to check what's the job of an Operations Manager? If it isn't a 'standard' title, then what do you think an Operations Manager does?

Alan

Originally posted by ho247
Thanks...

I like the "Marketing Manager"... but for a person who is in charge of coding everything, setting up the servers and website, "Technical Consultant" just doesn't cut it? The word 'consultant' just seems very part time to the company.

Can other's post what job titles they have in their NONE incorporated companies? Or if anyone has any other suggestions for the two areas of 'marketing' and 'technical' jobs, I'll appreciate it, if you can post them.

Alan
Try this...
Marketning Engeineer!
:beer:

LOL, now that's a new one :).

I never knew it was *this* hard to just come up with titles for jobs within a company. Too bad there isn't a list on the Internet somewhere with the job title and job description next to it, for the structure within a company... ow that'll be VERY useful, I could then just find the title I like, the description I like and if they are both cool, then I can use the title. Just wondering... but does anyone know of such a thing? (Please say yes! :D)

Alan

OVERLOARD OF THE NETWORK :D (systems admin)

Now thats a title!

And Don't Forget..

RULER OF THE DOMAIN! (account manager):rolleyes:

sorry! :beer:

Originally posted by onthecatwalk
OVERLOARD OF THE NETWORK :D (systems admin) A friend of mine, while working as a legal clerk for a Manhattan law firm, had business cards from the firm which gave his title as "Dark Overlord of the Copy Room."

Title for an optical network engineer: Lord of the (SONET) Rings.