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• PRO

  Gary RK August 28, 2014 at 11:43am

  I would suggest you keep it simple on the business cards and find another piece of collateral to show the services you offer. It's too small a format to make it work and be clear and will always be a compromise.

  The use of 'Partner' works well for small businesses and feels somewhat 'softer'.

  For a more hard edged image, "Director" works well, but "Managing Director" can imply expressions of 'grandeur' especially when used by a small business and might scare potential clients away.

  If the person has professional, recognised qualifications I would consider showing alongside the name.

  Another benefit of keeping it simple is you can then 'play' to the market without being straight-jacketed.

  I sometimes wince when I see a Trades Van with 30+bullet points on the side/rear. In my mind it does not give a good impression - are they jack of all trades etc.

  All IMHO :-)
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  Pristine Gardens August 28, 2014 at 11:45am

  Unless you are a limited company you cannot use director, if you are running as a sole trader it would be proprietor, or partnership would be partner. Why have job title, our cards are only as a point of contact so each member of staff with a company phone has a card with name, mobile number, office number and emails. My cards are the same as the guys just with different details don't see what difference a job title makes, most of them are just made up titles and don't mean anything anyway, that's my view anyway:-)
• PRO

  Gary RK August 28, 2014 at 11:59am

  My understanding; The title '(Managing) Director' with no other qualifying statements is a grey area as to whether you can use in a ST or Partnership entity and whether it requires the person to be a formal director @ Companies House and consequently a Ltd Co. However, it can be viewed as misleading so best avoided.

  Various roles/responsibilities in a business will assume a person to be a Director in a Ltd Company even if not lodged at CH in subsequent legal proceedings.

  However a ST, Partnership or LLP can use the titles of 'Director of ........' etc even if not a Ltd Co and/or Board level appt without breaking any laws. Ie you may have "Director of Operations, Director of Sales'

  For ST, more normal titles are Sole Prop, Proprietor, Principal, Business Owner etc

  
  
  Pristine Gardens said:

  Unless you are a limited company you cannot use director, if you are running as a sole trader it would be proprietor, or partnership would be partner. Why have job title, our cards are only as a point of contact so each member of staff with a company phone has a card with name, mobile number, office number and emails. My cards are the same as the guys just with different details don't see what difference a job title makes, most of them are just made up titles and don't mean anything anyway, that's my view anyway:-)
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  Lindsay Nicholls-Smith August 28, 2014 at 12:21pm

  I wasn't expecting that! I know plenty of sole traders that have the title of 'Managing Director' so they must all be mistaken, whoops! As I said anyway, I am not looking to use that term

  The reason we wish to have a title is that many a time we have handed out cards to businesses with simply 'Partner' on them and they get stuck in a drawer and people see them and think 'god knows who that is' let's chuck it. Then later down the line we meet them again and they mention that they have been looking for gardeners/tree surgeons etc and completely forgot about us and the fact that's what we do, so in my opinion it's extremely important. Plus considering the majority of our custom is from business rather than residential it looks very unprofessional to not have a title.
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  Lindsay Nicholls-Smith August 28, 2014 at 12:25pm

  Yes I would be using the term 'Director of...'. I also never said it is a small business, just mentioned it is a partnership :P I appreciate your advice though I really do
  
  Gary RK said:

  However a ST, Partnership or LLP can use the titles of 'Director of ........' etc even if not a Ltd Co and/or Board level appt without breaking any laws. Ie you may have "Director of Operations, Director of Sales'
• PRO

  Gary RK August 28, 2014 at 12:45pm

  Define 'small business'  ? I would suggest we all run 'micro/small businesses':
  
  "The usual definition of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is any business with fewer than 250 employees. There were 4.9 million SMEs in the UK in 2013, which was over 99% of all business. Micro-businesses are business with 0-9 employees." Source: UK Government
  
  Lindsay Nicholls-Smith said:

  Yes I would be using the term 'Director of...'. I also never said it is a small business, just mentioned it is a partnership :P I appreciate your advice though I really do
  
  Gary RK said:

  However a ST, Partnership or LLP can use the titles of 'Director of ........' etc even if not a Ltd Co and/or Board level appt without breaking any laws. Ie you may have "Director of Operations, Director of Sales'
• 

  Lindsay Nicholls-Smith August 28, 2014 at 1:08pm

  Ok, micro-business or not, I was just saying that you made the assumption that it was a small business. Anyway, I just want suggestions to my question :'(
  
  
  Gary RK said:

  Define 'small business'  ? I would suggest we all run 'micro/small businesses':
  
  "The usual definition of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is any business with fewer than 250 employees. There were 4.9 million SMEs in the UK in 2013, which was over 99% of all business. Micro-businesses are business with 0-9 employees." Source: UK Government
  
• PRO

  Gary RK August 28, 2014 at 1:25pm

  Opps - sorry I made a assumption (which was correct and includes 4.9m of us) - was just helping :-)!
  
  Lindsay Nicholls-Smith said:

  Ok, micro-business or not, I was just saying that you made the assumption that it was a small business. Anyway, I just want suggestions to my question :'(
  
  
  Gary RK said:

  Define 'small business'  ? I would suggest we all run 'micro/small businesses':
  
  "The usual definition of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is any business with fewer than 250 employees. There were 4.9 million SMEs in the UK in 2013, which was over 99% of all business. Micro-businesses are business with 0-9 employees." Source: UK Government
  
• PRO

  Robbie August 28, 2014 at 1:25pm

  Head gardener and office manager?
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  J S CountryTools August 28, 2014 at 1:59pm

  You said your husband works with trees? I think you have to have the paperwork to use "Arboriculturalist" but I think its an awesome word that makes people want to know what it means

  Definition thanks to Google

  "An arborist, or (less commonly) arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants."