Michelle R. Mosby rang in the 20th anniversary of her business, International Hair Salon, on April 1 with a small group of employees and supporters in a spirited, but safe celebration at the salon on Forest Hill Avenue in South Side.

The size of the celebration was an accommodation to the dangers of the still-present coronavirus that has taken its toll on businesses across the city during the past 15 months.

The pandemic forced Ms. Mosby, a former City Council member, to temporarily close up shop last year from the end of March to June. The salon reopened slowly under state guidelines, with appointments required for patrons and new cleaning and other measures aimed at ensuring the health and safety of employees and customers.

While the salon didn’t have to let go of any employees, the time closed and reduced number of customers had a huge financial cost that Ms. Mosby said sets small, Black-owned businesses apart from other larger businesses.

“We took a major hit — three months of no income,” said Ms. Mosby. “For me, it was three months of (hair stylists) not able to get any customers, which means they can’t get paid, which means I can’t expect them to pay me.”

It was a hard time all around, Ms. Mosby said.

“For everyone there, this is how they take care of their families. This is how they eat,” she said.

Cynthia Thomas-Rustin, owner of World Fitness Dance Academy, managed to weather the pandemic but not without major alterations. Since mid-March of 2020, she has continued to run the academy from her apartment through virtual classes and social media.

She reopened her Glen Allen studio for in-person classes for a limited number of students just a few weeks ago. The shift, while significant, was bolstered in part by a disaster plan Ms. Thomas-Rustin had previously developed, along with boosts from local television appearances.

It helped, too, that she had a small staff of only herself and two volunteers. This allowed Ms. Thomas-Rustin to maintain her client base and presence in the community, and to reconnect with clients who had moved to other states. “I think you have to use (virtual classes and social media) to your advantage. It could be good, it could be bad,” said Ms. Thomas-Rustin.

She noted that people’s desire for connection and to avoid a sedentary lifestyle during the pandemic also helped keep her business running, even in the face of a stressful financial time.

“I just felt that people were very loyal, and if I stuck to my word, then I could only go forward,” she said.

According to Melody Short, director of marketing and communication for the Metropolitan Business League, the group awarded more than $425,000 in grants to more than 100 female- and minority-owned small businesses in response to the pandemic.

Federal and city loans and grants also were available to help businesses get through the crisis.

Ms. Mosby said she received COVID-19 relief funds through the city to help her business. She said it also helped to talk about the issues and potential solutions with other small business owners.

The disparate impact of COVID-19 on small, minority-owned businesses was fairly widespread, Ms. Short said. Necessary adjustments and additional expenses have come with the times, she said.

But a few businesses also have experienced surprising and even substantial growth during the pandemic. One is Sassy Jones, a Richmond-based boutique specializing in jewelry and accessories.

With the pandemic shutting down offices and forcing people to conduct business meetings and official work online, Sassy Jones’ customer base grew as increasing numbers of patrons hit the company’s website to shop for earrings, necklaces and bracelets that would enhance their look on Zoom calls.

Despite the company closing it sole retail store in April 2020 because of the pandemic, the company hit its million-dollar sales mark in May 2020, said Charis Jones, chief designer and CEO of the accessory company.

Ms. Jones said the company’s sole employee in the Richmond store was offered a role in the warehouse, but ultimately resigned a month into their new role.

“None of our plans got put on pause. All of our plans increased by like 5,000 percent,” said Ms. Jones, who acknowledged that her retail location was never as successful as her e-commerce sector, which she said is more expensive but also far more profitable.

Ms. Short said some Black-owned businesses in Richmond thrived during the pandemic because of increased patronage following months of racial justice protests and growing awareness of and calls for support of Black businesses and racial equity. Customers are now making these businesses a regular part of their purchasing decisions, Ms. Short said, a shift that could persist beyond the pandemic.

“I would hope that these are permanent institutional changes that are happening, and that this compassion that has been etched in the heart of folks is ongoing and not seasonal,” Ms. Short said. “I think time will tell.”

For now as businesses continue to adjust to their new normal, Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced all COVID-19-related restrictions will be lifted on Friday, May 28. It will allow restaurants, beauty shops and other retail establishments to return to pre-COVID norms and write the next chapter on the other side of the pandemic.

“It’s not about how you fared or how you felt” during the pandemic, Ms. Jones said. “It’s more about how you respond to it and how are you going to get back up in this difficult time.”