COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe. ‘It’s not just a fad’: Black-owned businesses lack support months after George Floyd movement And when business dried up, Provo discovered financial aid wasn’t easy to come by.“Unfortunately because our business wasn’t in business a year before, or whatever the cut off date, we unfortunately were not able to take advantage of any of the support,” he said.A new study that looked at the impact of COVID-19 on African Nova Scotian businesses found significant impacts, ranging from closures and layoffs to supplier delays and possible permanent shrinkage in customer bases.The study, which was released by the Black Business Initiative (BBI) and funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA),.