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Recently an entrepreneur was looking for ideas for a virtual assistant to help with several projects. After asking a few questions, it became clear that using Upwork for freelancers was a quicker, more efficient route. Instead of hiring a person with general skills for a set number of hours per week, hire specialists per project.

Here are a few common outsourcing projects for entrepreneurs:

• Data entry / list building – Build a list of target contacts
• Copywriting – Capture your ideas and transform them into content
• Editing – Take your content and polish it
• General help – Offload the basics that are better done elsewhere

Entrepreneurs would do well to outsource the non-core tasks and use a freelancer marketplace like Upwork.

What else? What are some more tasks entrepreneurs should outsource?

Entrepreneurs love to think big and brainstorm different what-if scenarios. Only, the big idea is often too broad and unattainable without meaningful incremental progress in a much shorter timeframe. Meaning, results are needed in the next 12 months to continue the pursuit of the 10-year vision.

Think about Tesla starting with an expensive electric sports car to prove the concept. Then an expensive sedan followed by a crossover. Only after those successes was a mainstream, mid-priced sedan possible.

Think about Uber starting as a high-end black car service in one city. Once that worked they added ridesharing and launching hundreds of cities. Now, Uber has expanded to food delivery and more.

Think big but start small. Take the 10-year vision and reduce it to a 12-month outcome with sufficient progress to continue.

What else? What are some more thoughts on the idea that the big vision needs incremental progress?

Back in 2008 Pardot was just starting to get off the ground with a few hundred thousand in recurring revenue and the makings of a big market. Excitedly, I applied to be a “member company” at a local startup organization by filling out an online application and trying to meet with people. No one would meet with me. We weren’t “the right type of company” and didn’t get accepted into the program.

Rejected.

Completely rejected.

I put my head down and went back to work. We didn’t need the blessing of another organization for us to be successful. With a strong locus of control we followed Andre Agassi’s mantra “control what you can control” and continued plodding along. Ultimately, the business was successful and we didn’t need validation from something else.

Getting rejected is an awful feeling but it didn’t stop us from realizing our vision.

Last week an entrepreneur mentioned that he was approached by a large company that was potentially interested in acquiring his startup. Not knowing what to do, he agreed to a call and asked a number of questions. Then, he got the big question: how much do you want for your business?

The best response to an inbound acquisition price inquiry is as follows:

We’re not for sale but what are you offering?

The idea is to set the tone that the business is doing well and going to keep growing independently. With that established, only then is the door slightly opened to see what the potential acquirer is thinking.

The next time a potential acquirer comes around asking questions, make it clear the business isn’t for sale but that you’re open to listening.

What else? What are some more thoughts on the best response to an inbound acquisition price inquiry?

Recently I was meeting with an entrepreneur and he started talking about their mission. After five minutes on the mission it was clear he was serious and dedicated to building a mission-driven business. First, what’s a mission?

From How to Write a Perfect Mission Statement, here are a few examples:

• Ben & Jerry’s: Making the best possible ice cream, in the nicest possible way.
• Disney: To make people happy.
• Instagram: Capture and Share the World’s Moments.
• Amazon: To be the world’s most customer-centric company.

A mission is the core aspiration of the business. The best mission statements are short, inspiring, and memorable.

Here are a few ways to know if it’s a mission-driven startup:

• Employees talk about “we” and not “I”
• Everyone in the company can recite the mission
• The entrepreneur is constantly connecting the actions with the mission
• There’s a sense of focus and drive in the team members where it’s clear that it’s more than “just a job”

Look for the rare mission-driven startup. Mission-driven startups grow faster, achieve more, and make a bigger impact.

What else? What are some more thoughts on mission-driven startups?