If you drive down any of Lawrence County’s main roads, whether it be in the city of Ironton or one of its villages, the heart of these communities are small businesses.

While there are some big-box stores and chain restaurants, by far the majority of businesses in the county are locally owned.

In an effort to preserve the entrepreneurial spirit that is so deeply engrained here and across the state, the Ohio House and Senate recently passed a bill that would lower new business filing fees.

The bill, which must still be approved by Gov. John Kasich, would drop the fee from $125 to $99. The fees to apply for the right to use or reserve a name for future use would be reduced to $39 from $50.

Additionally, the bill would make the OhioMeansJobs website more streamlined and accessible to Ohio-based businesses so they have equal access to the website.

While a 20 percent reduction in fees may not seem like a large decrease, anyone struggling with the start-up costs associated with a new business knows that every little bit helps.

We hope the governor signs and approves this bill so Lawrence County’s entrepreneurs can do what they do best — create jobs and products to increase economic growth.