Businesses small and large have been on a roller coaster ride over the past couple of years. While that’s meant some tough times, it’s also inspired business owners and the government to look for new ways to stimulate growth, despite the challenging economic conditions.

And for small business owners, that’s a good reason to be increasingly optimistic.

It’s long been clear that small businesses play a major role in driving the American economy. Even more evidence of that was President Barack Obama’s signing the Small Business Jobs Act into law in September 2010.

In the months since then, the outlook has been increasingly positive, though modestly so. However, that’s something that SBOs can take heart in. One Bloomberg article quotes a Moody’s economist stating that even gradual improvement in business engagement will help the recovery.

The economic environment will certainly have an impact on your business, but it’s important to remember that what you do to protect and to grow your company has an equally significant effect.

To make sure that you’re doing everything possible to stay ahead of the game, do periodic business assessments. They can help you understand your bottom line, areas with potential for growth and issues that need to be addressed.

An assessment can also tell you whether the positive changes in the small business environment are reflected in the health of your business. If you’re benefitting from better business conditions, it’s just as important to address those changes as it is to take stopgap measures with problems.

For instance, if your company is growing – adding new employees, expanding to new locations or seeing an increase in sales – you need to consider your changing business insurance needs. It’s important to not neglect this task, even if it seems daunting. By not addressing it, you could be putting the growth your business is seeing at risk.

If searching for the right policies at the right prices seems like something that doesn’t fit into your schedule, you still have options. For instance, you can get multiple business insurance quotes from leading insurance agencies, based on your company’s specific needs, by using InsuranceEdge, provided by BOLT(SM) from American Express OPEN. You simply need to enter your business information and you’ll receive real-time business insurance quotes and assistance from a licensed agent when you’re ready to choose a policy.

Since success requires you to adjust your business approach as much as setbacks would, arming yourself with knowledge and the right tools is important. With the horizon looking brighter for small business owners, it’s time to prepare your business for what’s to come.