Women are great multi-taskers and that’s what makes us fabulous businesswomen and insightful entrepreneurs. But ask any successful business person and they will tell you that inspiration and diligence are not enough to survive, particularly in an inhospitable marketplace.

However, this is a great starting point and in my book BOOM!, I detail the three traits that, in my opinion, are crucial to being a successful Boompreneur. You need absolute passion, a can-do attitude and the ability to be totally honest with yourself, and with others. I describe these three essentials as a the legs of a stool that allows you to stand tall and reach higher, but you also need to know what you are reaching for and how you are going to get it.

I am a great believer in having a clear vision of what you want to do or where you want to be, and then planning how you are going to get there before you leave. After all, you wouldn’t go on a road trip without consulting a map, checking the gas and visiting the bathroom would you? And don’t forget the power of positive thinking- if you plan for success, you will achieve it.

My experience with Diva made me realise that planning and preparation is such an important part of a business, prospective entrepreneurs need to be disciplined in their approach in order to give themselves, and their businesses, the best chance of success.

The more I thought about it, the seven BOOM! disciplines became clearer in my mind; the first four ensuring strong foundations are laid and the last three offering the building blocks of business management skills-if you inspire others, they will surprise you.

These disciplines are what helped me start a cosmetics business from scratch and sell it just four years later and they are also what I use when mentoring other businesses. Note that these are not rules, as rules are meant to be bent or broken, but rather a way of disciplining your business behavior

Clearly, the full impact of the BOOM! disciplines is discussed in greater detail and with worked examples in the book or DVD, but I would like to share with you an overview of what I think is the recipe for business success.

The first discipline is Business Strategy and fits squarely in the planning for success box. It is about bringing your business into focus, clarifying your vision and developing a framework upon which to base your business decisions. This is all about the big picture, and about defining your business mission in as few choice words as you can.

If the first discipline gives you the co-ordinates of where you want to be, Business Planning, the second discipline is the map you draw to find your way. If you set out without a proper destination, how will you know when you have arrived? This discipline is also about limiting the unexpected- although surprises will always happen in life and in business, if you have planned for contingencies, you will better equipped to weather any storms.

The third discipline is Marketing Management. No matter how good your business idea, how effective your business plan, if you do not market your products or services, no-one will know what you do or where to find you. Good marketing is about communicating with the right customers in the most effective way.

The fourth discipline, Practical Finance, is something that many people will leave to their accountant- but why? It is not his (or her) business, it’s yours. You need to have your finger on the financial pulse of your business at all times, and cashflow is the blood of your business- without cash, your business will suffer a huge coronary. Figures may not be your strong point, but you need to know where you are financially just as much as your physical location. Never rely on anyone else to tell you how much money you have!

Now our foundations have been laid, discipline five’s Team Building helps you make the most of your most important business resource, your people. People can literally make or break your business as it expands so it is important to make sure you have a range of complementary skills within your team, and that you match the right person to the right job.

Of course, without customers, your team is just a collection of people, and the sixth discipline, Customer Commitment, is all about finding out what your customer wants, and then satisfying their need. Remember, customers needs will change, so keep checking you are still meeting their requirements, and never forget that the fastest thing to spread in business is a bad review, so avoid them at all costs!

Finally, the seventh discipline is Personal Development, which many people do not consider to be a business discipline at all- I wholeheartedly disagree. Who is the driving force behind your business? Who is the foundation upon which your business is built? You need to attend to your own personal needs in order for your business to thrive. For some people, they need fresh challenges, for others it is order and stability, but do whatever you need to do to maintain your personal momentum, drive the business forward and feed the passion that got you started in the first place.

I truly believe that these disciplines can help every business achieve its BOOM! potential- why not yours?

Contributed by Emma Wimhurst, www.makeyourbusinessBOOM.co.uk