August 15th - PARO Presents 5th Anniversary!

Please note that the August 7th PARO Presents Go Green Silk Screening Workshop has been canceled. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

Now on * August 15th * - PARO Leads & Links

Fueling Connections

We would love to meet with you to provide any assistance that we can: to learn more about you and to share information about PARO and our programs.

On August 7, 8 and 9, the PARO on Wheels team will be visiting Kenora, Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Ignace.

Tuesday August 7

· Travel to Kenora

· Meet with clients in the afternoon and evening for one-on-ones.

· From 5 pm until 7 pm they will be at the LOWBIC Offices (227 ½ Second Street South) hosting a focus group with Siobhan O’Leary, a Masters Student from the University of Guelph . She will be hosting a focus group and conducting surveys to determine how transportation affects the lives of women living in Northern Ontario .

Wednesday August 8 (morning)

· Travel to Dryden and will be meeting with women there.

· From 11 am until 2 pm they will be at the PACE Office ( 66 Keith Avenue ) holding a focus group and conducting surveys with women at the PACE office.

Wednesday August 8 (afternoon)

· Travel to Sioux Lookout on Wednesday afternoon for appointments.

· From 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, the team will be holding a focus group in the Sioux Lookout Public Library.

Thursday August 9

· Travel to Ignace and host a focus group

· From 10:30 am until 11:30 am at the Family Resource Room ( 312 Pine Street )

The team will then travel home to Thunder Bay .

Traveling with the team this trip will be:

Anke Starratt , PARO on Wheels Team paroonwheels@paro.ca

Laura MacIver, Regional Development Coordinator, NOW Program outreach@paro.ca

Siobhan O’Leary, Masters Student, University of Guelph .

To set up appointments or learn more, please contact our team through the emails listed above or telephone the office at 807-625-0328

More on the Focus Groups and Surveys with Siobhan O’Leary:

The purpose of this research is to understand how transportation affects the workforce participation of women living in small communities in Northern Ontario . The project will investigate the transportation problems that women living in rural areas in northern Ontario experience in getting to work, to training and skills development opportunities and to services in general.

The results of the research will be used to initiate and influence policy dialogue at local, provincial and federal levels to develop policies and programs that will improve women’s accessibility to employment and training in northern Ontario communities. Research on northern issues is generally lacking and issues that affect women are no exception. There is currently no research on women, employment and transportation and how these are linked to the livelihoods of the ‘working poor’.

At the August 15 Leads and Links we will be helping the PARO Presents store celebrate its 5^th Anniversary. See poster above.

PARO Leads & Links are held the fourth Wednesday of every month, from 5-7PM, and offer networking and learning opportunities, as well as great advertising opportunities for your business with display booths available at each event. To find out more about how you can promote and showcase your business, product, or service at PARO Leads & Links, or call Maria at 625-0328 or programadministrator@paro.ca

PARO Peer Lending Circles

Are you interested in opportunities to meet with other fantastic women?

Are you looking for opportunities to learn and share business knowledge, to access a variety of perspectives and experiences?

Peer support, mentoring and encouragement are among the many things that women can gain from being members of PARO’s Peer Circles!

PARO Peer Circles are groups of 4-7 women who are in business, are prospective entrepreneurs, or believe in women helping women. Circle members are also able to access PARO’s peer lending program for small business loans.

If you would like to learn more about PARO ’s Peer Lending Circles, please contact Pam at now@paro.ca.

Pam and Laura M have started calling Circle Members to update the information that we have in our database about the members and the circles. Please be patient with us as we make our way through the list.

Plans are now in full swing for our fall networking event that will be held on September 25. Keep checking the PARO Link for more information.

Women’s Economic Development Conference Planning Survey

PARO and conference partners aim to advance women’s economic opportunities through a Women’s Economic Development Conference that will be held in Thunder Bay on April 29 and 30, 2008.

This project will positively contribute to building sustainable community economic development in Northern Ontario through providing information and resources while building on women’s experience.

Your completion of this survey will help us meet these goals. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TMlbj1ZbwYj5T4gWZFL0wg_3d_3d

More Resources for You

What Does Your Business Card Say About You?

Hopefully you already have a business card, but if you don’t you should definitely create one. Business cards are something that we take for granted when we shouldn’t. The look, feel, and message on a card help people determine how they view you and more importantly, if they will even remember you.
http://www.quicksprout.com/2007/07/31/what-does-your-business-card-say-about-you/

For completely creative business card ideas you have to check these websites out. These business cards are so much more visually appealing and memorable than the boring white rectangle. Click on each thumbnail picture to enlarge the cards. I promise that you will be amazed and inspired! http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailypoetics/sets/72057594104389710/

http://dailypoetics.typepad.com/photos/business_cards_and_other_/p1010063_1.html

This site dedicated to lifehacks: www.lifehack.org

The phrase describes any hacks, tips and tricks that get things done quickly by automating, increase productivity and organizing. This site is built around this theme. It is a frequently updated blog, which provides news and articles which able you to get things done in a faster pace. It is definitely an interesting site to poke around in!

Recent articles include:

· How To Apologize Sincerely http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-apologize-sincerely.html

· The Importance of a Central Project List: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/the-importance-of-a-central-project-list.html

· 10 Tips for Razor Sharp Concentration: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-tips-for-razor-sharp-concentration.html#more-3756

The Business Accelerator

Productivity Killers (and How To Avoid Them)

By Michele Hanson-O'Reggio

As a small business owner you wear many hats. Office administration, marketing, sales, bookkeeping, advertising, customer relations: it never ends. Your to-do list is growing as quickly as your energy level is plummeting. Oh, and you need to make more time for yourself and your family. There just isn’t enough time! And let’s not forget those goals you set for yourself. Weren’t you going to dramatically increase your personal productivity? Didn’t you promise yourself you’d grow your earning power? And what about working on your self-esteem and getting more out of life? After all, isn’t that why you went into business for yourself in the first place? You can manage your time better and reach your goals, if you learn to avoid these Deadly Productivity Killers.

Procrastination: We’re all guilty of it. But the upside of procrastination is that it offers clues to the nature of the real problem. You might be putting something off because you don’t have the expertise to complete a task. Perhaps you haven’t found the best solution to the problem yet. Maybe the task is too overwhelming. Or maybe you just don’t like doing it. Once you’ve figured out why you procrastinate, you can start working on a solution. For example, if you’re overwhelmed, try breaking up the task into smaller pieces and tackle them one by one. If you don’t have the expertise for the task, or you hate doing it, why not give the job to someone who has the know-how, is good at it, and actually loves doing it?

Multi-tasking: Most people, including me, try to do everything all at once. You kid yourself that you’re getting lots done. But you’re not. When nothing gets your full attention, errors creep in. In the long run, you end up spending more time undoing those mistakes. Stop trying to do it all at once. By giving your undivided attention to one thing at a time, you’ll be much more productive.

Spending Time on Tasks That Don’t Produce Income: The hallmark of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to delegate. Working on a difficult or boring chore quickly saps your energy and enthusiasm. Admit that you’re not an expert at everything! Give the job to the real experts. They can do it more easily and cost-effectively, and you can get back to doing what you do best. The first step in deciding what to delegate is to determine the most valuable use of your time. Always apply Pareto’s Principle The 80-20 Rule. This rule states that 20 percent of your activities produce 80 percent of your results. So, in prioritizing your to-do list, determine which tasks are in your top 20 percent by assessing their value to your life. When you’ve identified the activities that generate the most income, you’ll know which tasks to delegate.

Lack of Planning: If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there. Stay focused by periodically re-evaluating your objectives. Making a list of your goals helps. Thinking on paper stimulates creativity and transforms fuzzy ideas into a clear and concrete action plan. Reviewing the next day before you go to bed is also effective. Your subconscious busily works on your goals while you sleep, and you’ll wake up feeling in control and ready to tackle your challenges.

Handling Things More Than Once: Do it, Dump it, or Delegate it! Handle things only once by evaluating every task that comes your way, decide what to do with it, and prioritize your to-do list. Once you’ve started a task, keep at it until it’s done. When you come back to an unfinished task, you need to take extra time to re-familiarize yourself with it and figure out where you left off. Successfully completing a task, no matter how small, gives you a great sense of accomplishment and encourages you to take on other tasks that come your way.

Disorganization: Did you know that disorganization costs the average worker at least one hour of productivity each day? Can you afford to lose five hours a week? Of course not! Keeping your desk, files, and work area clean and organized makes you more productive. You’ll be more focused on the task at hand, find the things you need more readily, and feel more in control of your life.

Lack of Balance in Your Life: If you’re like most people, you went into business for yourself to get more enjoyment from life. Yet many people lose sight of this goal. They become too preoccupied with the business, and end up sacrificing their own and their family’s well being. Stress builds up, they burn out, and productivity takes a nosedive. This doesn’t have to happen to you! Be sure to leave at least one day a week for leisure and being with the people that are important to you. And take care of yourself – set aside time each day to do something you enjoy. When you lead a balanced life you’ll enjoy good health, have a happy family life, and find peace of mind.

The Business Accelerator Program at PARO Centre offers
Incubator Office Space for Rent!
Contact Suzanne @ 625-0328 for more information.

PARO’s advanced Business Accelerator program provides a flexibility of workshops, mentoring, business counseling, web and tele-classes to women who are already established in their businesses but want to ‘grow a little or shift a lot’. This program builds knowledge, skills, capacity, confidence and resilience as a business owner, and each participant’s program is specially tailored to suit their needs. Contact accelerator@paro.ca to find out how the program can benefit your business.

PARO's Accelerator project has been supported with a grant from the Canadian Women's Foundation Economic Development Collaborative Fund, a partnership of the Canadian Women's Foundation, CIBC, The George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation, The Ontario Trillium Foundation and an Anonymous donor.

This project is supported by Industry Canada / Fednor.

September 25th - Save the Date for PARO Circles!

ARE YOU A PARO CIRCLE MEMBER?

INTERESTED IN JOINING A CIRCLE ?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO FORM A NEW CIRCLE?

NEED INFORMATION ON PEER LENDING LOANS?

Tuesday, September 25^th Leads & Links Circle Potluck Meeting
5pm to 8pm

This event will be a “meet, greet and sharing of Circle experiences and NETWORKING”

Further details to follow soon...

Biz and Bagel

Biz and Bagel returns Monday, September 10, 2007

If you are in the region and would like to join us, we have limited spaces available through teleconference. Please contact Joni @ jsharkey@paro.ca or 1-800-584-0252.

This program is funded by the Government of Canada



Business Development Programs

Are you a Woman with a Disability?
Dissatisfied With Your Work?

Want to Become Self-Employed?

Are you a woman contemplating going into business but do not know where to start?

For more info, please call Joni at 625.0328 or 1.800.584.0252

Start Your Business Today. Let us help you!

Join the Making A Difference: A Business Development Program

Funded by:

The support of Government of Ontario through the Ontario Women's Directorate, the Ministry of

Citizenship and Immigration is acknowledged

PARO Self-Employment Benefit Program

PARO's GATEWAY: A Path to Self-Employment

On EI now or in the last 3 years, or had Maternity benefits in the last 5 years?

Register Today!!

Click here for more information

This program is funded by the Government of Canada

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Do you have a computer? Can you surf the internet easily? Why not try our new Pilot project...
PARO On-line.

Cultural Funding Grants - Deadline August 20th

City of Thunder Bay Cultural Services
Cultural Funding Grants

Grants under the Cultural Funding Program are allocated every year to various cultural groups and individual artists. The Funding Program has two components: sustaining grants and project grants. A detailed grant application process is in place and each application is evaluated based on a criteria rating system.

Application Deadline for 2008 Funding: Monday, August 20, 2007 @ 4:00 p.m.

For more information click here .

Connecting You to a Fit & Healthy Lifestyle

It is hot and humid and it makes me move like a sloth!! Now that explains why this email is late this week!! No – not really, I was on vacation and am now home packing up our house to move to a new neighbourhood, so I do apologize for the delay!

I found this great article at www.weather.com (see Aunty Carol, you are not the only one with a weather obsession!! ;-)) With the weather the way it is I thought I would share it with all of you!!

The Heat Index is the temperature the body feels when heat and humidity are combined. The chart below shows the Heat Index that corresponds to the actual air temperature and relative humidity. This chart is based upon shady, light wind conditions. Exposure to direct sunlight can increase the Heat Index by up to 15°F.

Relative Humidity (%)

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

110

136

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

108

130

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

106

124

130

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

104

119

124

131

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

102

114

119

124

130

137

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

100

109

114

118

124

129

136

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

98

105

109

113

117

123

128

134

-

-

-

-

-

-

96

101

104

108

112

116

121

126

132

-

-

-

-

-

94

97

100

102

106

110

114

119

124

129

135

-

-

-

92

94

96

99

101

105

108

112

116

121

126

131

-

-

90

91

93

95

97

100

103

106

109

113

117

122

127

132

88

88

89

91

93

95

98

100

103

106

110

113

117

121

86

85

87

88

89

91

93

95

97

100

102

105

108

112

84

83

84

85

86

88

89

90

92

94

96

98

100

103

82

81

82

83

84

84

85

86

88

89

90

91

93

95

80

80

80

81

81

82

82

83

84

84

85

86

86

87

With Prolonged Exposure and/or Physical Activity:

Caution:
Fatigue possible

Extreme Caution:
Sunstroke, muscle cramps, and/or heat exhaustion possible

Danger:
Sunstroke, muscle cramps, and/or heat exhaustion likely

Extreme Danger:
Heat Stroke or Sunstroke likely

Approximately 400 people die each year from exposure to heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and as a last resort, by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6°F.

Sweating cools the body through evaporation. However, high relative humidity retards evaporation, robbing the body of its ability to cool itself. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, body temperature begins to rise, and heat-related illnesses and disorders may develop.

If you must be out in the heat:

Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
Cut down on exercise. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.
Warning: If you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage.
Try to rest often in shady areas.
Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection" on their labels).

Enjoy this weather and make it a healthy hot day!! Make sure you are hydrated when you get up and going early, early in the morning!!!

Deb

Deb Coulis - Lifestyle Coach
Coulis Connection

www.coulisconnection.com
Ph: 807-935-2484
Cell: 807-628-2408

Daina's Blog

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I wrote. I have been away at school in BC and although I am not graduating, I got to say goodbye to some of my friends who will be doing amazing things with their Masters in Servant Leadership degrees. I am very proud of some of these people since they are the most genuine and sincerest people I have met. They amazed me with their wisdom and strength and their commitment to serving others in their lives. Anyway, my journey to the Lance Armstrong Challenge is getting closer and I have come to a crossroads.

One of my friends has just been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and since I won’t have the funds to do both, I will have to give up my plans to go to Austin to go and visit after his 6 rounds of chemotherapy in Seattle . This is an easy decision. Well, of course I would like to do both, but I can’t, since I finishing my schooling and money is tight. Sometimes we have to make easy decisions. They are easy because you know in your heart they are the right thing to do. That’s why I call it an “easy decision”. Maybe I should write a book on the easy decisions in life. Well, no one said life would be easy, but when you weigh the facts, these are really, easy decisions.

Will blog again soon!

LIVESTRONG!

Daina Maslach
daina@drytel.net

Community Notes & Events

6th Annual Blueberry Blast
August 3 - 6, 2006
Nipigon

http://www.nipigon.net/eventsshow.php?eid=1

Plein Air Festival - Call for Artists

Artists create original artwork on location in the watershed from August 13-17. A public show and sale is held August 18-19 at Hazelwood Lake Centre.

For more information contact:
Lakehead Region Conservation Authority

http://www.lakeheadca.com/graphics/PleinAirApplication.pdf