Since 1995, we have assisted over 3000 of women entrepreneurs across Northern Ontario to start their own successful businesses.

We offer start up business development programs, professional advisory services and technical resources to help women make their new business concepts a reality. Our experienced staff will work with you through all the stages of starting a new business, from developing a business plan to accessing loans.

Our programs include:
Gateway: A Path to Self Employment (SEB): offers business development programming to women in Thunder Bay and Area who are unemployed and eligible for Employment Insurance (EI), have been eligible on EI in the last three years or have been on maternity benefits in the last five years. The Gateway Program helps women to get their business ideas started and continues to provide support and assistance in the development of the business, even after it is open. The Gateway program also allows women to receive Self-Employment Benefits (SEB) for the duration of the program, providing a vital supporting income during the business start-up phase.

The Gateway program provides weekly training sessions, help to develop a business plan, one-on-one meetings with a business counsellor, intensive workshops in bookkeeping and marketing, a resource centre with access to computers and the Internet, computerized online training, networking events and trade show participation, and the opportunity to join a network of dynamic women in business.

Download more information: Gateway brochure    Gateway Presentation

Making a Difference: Investing in Women's Futures: offers business and employment development services to women at PARO Centre or through PARO on Wheels throughout Northwestern Ontario.  The program offers business counselling, weekly workshops, on-line workshops, access to financing, and tele-sessions.

After women start their business through the Making a Difference program, PARO offers them the ‘Accelerated Placement Agency’ to assist women entrepreneurs who wish to hire staff, to teach them what they need to know about regulations and the ‘step by step’s of hiring, and to help them grow their business to the next level.  Download more information about Making a Difference.

PARO Centre: provides an incubator and resource centre for everyday use or for office space and equipment rental.


Women's Community Loan Fund: helps new women entrepreneurs access financing and credit, peer support, mentoring, and networking through various PARO peer lending circles.

 PARO Leads & Links: delivers networking, learning, events, and marketing opportunities to women entrepreneurs and by partnering in the region throughout the Northwest.

PARO Presents: is a project which provides Northern women entrepreneurs and artisans with retail training.This is a proven way to learn how to better market your products.