Business

Bank of America and Cornell University have partnered to give Charlotte-area Latina women an entrepreneurship certificate.

Throughout most of the year, uptown Charlotte was a ghost town. We're going to ask a few experts if our center city will ever return to how it was before the pandemic? And how did businesses fare throughout this whole ordeal?

Some business transactions that would have been done in person have been moved online during the coronavirus pandemic. A Charlotte organization has noticed that this transition has been harder for Latino small business owners who have been depending on paper documents and face-to-face meetings.

When Latino families across North Carolina had to cancel large social gatherings this year, that included canceling quinceañeras. These elaborate coming-of-age celebrations have created a profitable industry. But the coronavirus pandemic forced both young girls and the industry to adjust their plans.

Statistics show that people of color are at greater risk for health complications of COVID-19 because of underlying systemic and social factors. There's a similar disparity when it comes to family and business finances, plainly visible wherever people are seeking help.

Lezlie Briggs had been following the news, and knowing that cold weather was on the way, she wasn’t surprised when Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that he was keeping North Carolina in Phase 3 of restrictions. She'll follow guidelines, even though her bar 1501 South Mint hasn't had an easy time since opening last December.

The recent spike in coronavirus cases is not only alarming health officials but also Latino business owners in the food industry who fear, as the coronavirus pandemic worsens, their businesses could take a hit. A new study from Stanford University found transmission of the virus is higher in minority and lower-income communities and the spaces they work and shop in.

The coronavirus pandemic hasn't slowed down the sales of Halloween costumes in the Charlotte area, despite health officials' recommendations to avoid trick-or-treating or large gatherings. The Charlotte Ledger Business Journal's Tony Mecia checks in with WFAE's Marshall Terry on that and other business news this week.

The pandemic has been devastating to many in the service industry. Some restaurants and bars were forced to close permanently. But others in Charlotte were able to launch businesses during a recession and widespread safety restrictions.

According to an analysis of court filings by the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter, there were more divorces on record in June in Mecklenburg County…