Early in my entrepreneurial career, American Express acquired myfirst start-up, a company called Competitive Technologies. Iremember wondering why a company with seemingly infinite resourceswould buy my much smaller one. And executives there told me why:there are some aspects of the way start-ups operate that even theworld's most established companies can benefit from.

Here's a few ways long-standing and even large companies canbehave more like start-ups:

1. Stand for Something

People you know who work for bigger companies are sometimesenvious of the sense of belonging that start-up counterparts have.The sense of mission, the excitement. So put it back. Find a causeand rally all your employees around it. Give them a unifying senseof purpose, something they can share and feel part of. After all,if a winning sports team can unify an entire city, then surely youcan energize your own employees around winning your Super Bowl inwhatever market you're in. Draw that Super Bowl goal on the board,and hold a pep rally to get everyone excited about winningtogether. When's the last time you held a pep rally at work?

2. Collaborate

Start-ups are “scrappy.” But being scrappy doesn't mean doingeverything yourself. It means getting things done efficiently;sometimes that means bringing in a partner. Established companiesoften think they already know everything. Learn more about Inc.com's remaining three suggestions.