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This article originally appeared in the January/February issue of ESSENCE magazine, available on newsstands now. When the pandemic hit, some business-minded Black women leaped into action. They used their prowess and innovation to build up companies that would be of value to many. Here, the entrepreneurs describe starting and growing their new businesses. “MY INCOME DRIED UP!” Hairdresser and fitness instructor Monique Walker was not exactly trying to launch a business but when the pandemic shut down salons and gyms last spring, her resources dwindled. “I didn’t know what I was going to do,” says Walker, 41. A friend suggested she teach virtual dance classes to bring in money. “I began researching names, logos and website creation, and by July, it was a real business,” says Walker, owner of Verve Fitness LLC in Memphis, Tennessee. ....