Rebuilding a town’s economy is a difficult thing. There is no magic solution that fills up all the vacant buildings with vibrant stores that sell a lot of products and create a lot of jobs.

But as Ironton Mayor Katrina Keith said at the City Council meeting on Thursday, there are several new, small businesses that are beginning to fill up the downtown stores.

In March, Edward Jones opened up its new office at the corner of Center and South Third streets. In May, Cardinal Wishes Antiques opened up on 311 Vernon Street and Gypsy Hearts opened up on Third Street. The Chat Room opened across from the Farmers’ Market Square. Walker’s Elite Training recently opened on South Third Street.

Consigned Books offers more than just books, with regular events like having authors sign books and poetry readings.

And on Thursday, Decadence, a formal wear store had its grand opening after months of getting the store redone and stocked.

And there are all the activities at the Farmers’ Market, from local people selling produce and jams to giving musicians a stage to perform on.

Nearby, there is a splash park for kids and their families to play in on a hot day.

None of these are huge operations, but every one of them is a small business trying to offer something new and different to Ironton and the larger region.

And most importantly, the variety of stores give people a reason to come to Ironton and spend their money to boost the local economy.

So we applaud every store owner that comes to Ironton, which helps to rebuild the downtown.

It takes a lot of faith and hard work to run a business.

And we encourage people to shop locally and support their neighbors as they try to build a strong business.