Making A Difference:  A Business Development Program

 Smart Start Your Future…

With a winning resume and a fundable business plan.

Want to start or expand your business?

Not sure where to start?

Can’t find a Job?

Dissatisfied with your Work?

What is Making a Difference?

·        Business Development Training & Job Search Assistance

·      Networking & On-going Support

·      Small Loans Through Peer Lending Circles

·      Bi-weekly Group Sessions

·      No Cost to the Participant

Orientation Session:

  Monday February 21st, 2005 ~ 2 PM OR 7 PM

 in the Marathon Town Hall Building - Council Chambers

 Register Today

 Call Lori 1-800-584-0252

A partnership initiative between PARO and the Town of Marathon Economic Development Office

 Funded by:

The support of Government of Ontario through the Ontario Women's Directorate, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is acknowledged

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Biz and Bagel

Join us for our next Biz and Bagel 

Wednesday February 16th, 2005 featuring

Dr. Tracey Cook

"No Time to Eat...Nutrition on the Go"       

This program is funded by the Government of Canada

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PARO PRESENTS

Looking for something for that very special someone...

PARO Presents has Valentine's Day cards and ornaments

PARO Presents   111 N. May St.  Thunder Bay, ON

623-2200   Tuesday - Saturday 10 - 5 PM

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Entrewomen.ca

What's new at Entrewomen.ca.

February Expert Article by Susan DeKeyer - Human Resources Management Services - 

"Do Small Businesses Need Policies and Procedures?  You Bet!"

Watch for this Expert Article coming out February 14th.   Surf on over to www.entrewomen.ca for more details.

Donna Brown
Entrewomen Project Co-ordinator
dbrown@paro.ca

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The Accelerator

 

I am one of the Project Coordinators of GirlSpoken: Creative Voices for Change, a non-profit, arts-based project for girls and young women. GirlSpoken is soliciting submissions for an anthology of artworks and writing by young women aged 13-19 across Canada. I am writing to request your help to inform program providers, parents and girls in your community and networks of this opportunity.

Coming to Thunder Bay!

"What The Bleep Do We Know!"

 

Screening at Confederation College Lecture Theatre on Sunday March 13, 2005! Three times to choose from:

1:30 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 pm.  Advance tickets are $10.00 from Solsbury Hill or $12.00 at the door.

Transforming Readers on Fisherman’s Wharf!

 

Transforming Boundaries: An International Journal of Creativity and Connection made a splash at the recent Independent Press Association (IPA) conference in San Francisco , California . The cover of its second issue, which featured a bright orange mosaic mural on an olive green background, was nominated for a Best Cover Award of 2004. Designed by Katherine Hellner of Looner Graphics, the cover highlighted a Sawtooth Elementary Arts project done in collaboration with artists Kelly Dupre and Joyce Klees, all based in Grand Marais, Minnesota .

 

IPA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support independent publishers by providing business services and creating important networking opportunities, evidenced by this fourth annual conference which drew more than 320 publications. In attendance were Transforming Boundaries Editor Christine Buss and Canadian Columnist Maggie Milne. Transforming Boundaries received recognition from many of the attendees for its exceptional quality, stunning graphics, and imaginative writing and design. Marketing experts and distribution representatives alike noted Transforming Boundaries as “one of the most unique publications they have found on the market.” Check out sample artwork and articles at www.transformingboundaries.com or call 1-866-587-1240 for more information.

 

Transforming Boundaries

PO Box 213

Grand Marais , MN 55604

218-387-1240

www.transformingboundaries.com

 

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hands on minds on

 

cahep arts fiesta

 

a celebration of the arts by grade 5 students participating in cahep's artists in the 5th programming

 

FREE - Everyone welcome

Friday February 25th   10 am until 1:30 pm

St. Patrick's Auditorium   621 Selkirk St.

 

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100 WAYS TO LIVE TO 100 :  Keep improving yourself.

POSITIVE QUOTE :

"There is in our soul something that, if we see it as it is an                              

  give it the proper attention, will always  give us great

  pleasure; this something is the moral disposition or

  quality which was given to us at our creation."

                                - Immanuel Kant

DAILY MOTIVATION : Freedom to C.H.A.N.G.E.

Like it or not, change is a part of life we cannot always control.  What we can control, however, is whether change holds us captive or sets us free. By learning to embrace change instead of fearing it, you open doors of opportunity that might otherwise have stayed locked. Let this change acronym show you how to stand up and greet change instead of running from it.

Confidence

Having confidence in yourself helps you realize you can survive whatever comes your way. Actively pursue new interests and activities to show yourself just how much you are capable of. If you have always approached customers, presented your product or closed the same way, try a new technique. If you usually adopt a quiet, reserved approach with customers, try a bolder, more enthusiastic selling persona.

You might be surprised at your success. When you are able to handle new things effectively, you will send yourself a positive message: "If I dealt with these new challenges well, I will bet I can also do well in my new territory, get that promotion, etc." The difference between failure and success in any activity often lies in your level of confidence.

Honor yourself

To take advantage of all the talents you possess, you have to be willing to try new things. By embracing change, you honor yourself by taking the opportunity to reach your full potential.  When you listen to your inner voices, get in the habit of paying attention only to the voice that tells you  can - that fear of failure is no excuse for not trying. Remind yourself that you deserve the best in life, that you owe it to yourself to reach for the brass ring and to continue growing and learning as a salesperson. If you are ever going to be all you can be, you cannot be afraid to open the door when opportunity knocks - even if it means stepping into unfamiliar territory. Send yourself daily positive affirmations that increase your self-esteem and decrease your satisfaction with anything less than your best.

Adaptability

Dealing with change effectively requires you to be flexible.  Rigid routines or thinking patterns stifle  growth and encourage you to resist change. Be a person who instead of asking "Why?" asks "Why not?" Remember that if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten. To be more adaptable to unexpected changes, start by making some deliberate changes in the way you think and operate. 

Take a different route to work, eat lunch at a different restaurant or look for a brand new market or application for your product.  Examine your political and social beliefs from the other side's point of view and try to understand their reasoning. Instead of focusing on a single method for reaching your goals, remember that the result is the important thing, and be open to new strategies that may be more effective that the one you are using now. Remind yourself that the price of being inflexible is growing outdated and being left behind.

Newness

Much of life's fun and excitement comes from trying something you have never tried before. New activities often carry a sense of the unfamiliar and a fear of failure, but these negative emotions are usually short lived. If you would not want to eat the same food for dinner every night, why be content with the same predictable activities every day? Be aware of your tendency to stay within the confines of your comfort zone - if you are too content and comfortable, you are not challenging yourself.

Start thinking of your comfort zone as your discomfort zone, so that a red flag goes up when complacency starts to creep up on you.

Whether you are faced with learning a new computer program, selling in a new territory or contacting a new prospect for the first time, think of the potential good that can come from the change. When you feel apprehensive, enjoy the satisfaction of knowing why you feel it - because you are giving yourself a chance to improve on the person you were yesterday.

Growth

One of the many benefits of change, growth ensures that you are capable of doing more and earning more with every passing year. Strive for constant improvement in every area of your life.  Start by visualizing yourself as you want to be five years from now, then take steps to nurture your growth. Try to improve your sales by 5 percent every month, and read books, listen to programs or take courses that will give you the skills and motivation to do it. Compare your current performance with past achievements - have you backslid or hit a plateau?  Stop making excuses for lackluster performance and take responsibility for your success. With growth often come growing pains, but they hurt a lot less than knowingly falling short of your potential.

Esteem

People with high self-esteem believe they can do anything - and they are right. If you already feel good about yourself, guard your esteem carefully. Be choosy about the people you associate with - stick with friends who support you and help build you up - who celebrate your achievements instead of belittling them. If you are plagued by self-doubt or feelings of worthlessness, find out why. You  might be caught in a vicious cycle in which fear of failure keeps you from really trying for success, and when you fail as a result, your fears are confirmed.

Make a list of your past achievements to prove to yourself that you are capable of success. Think about the steps that led to these successes and tell yourself that if you did it once, you can do it again. Once you find out what is holding you back, you can face it, conquer it and move forward. 

The fear of change is not rare, but only those who overcome it can hope to meet their goals and fulfill their dreams in life.  Just as you might have conditioned yourself to resist change, you can now condition yourself to welcome it. Once you realize that change holds the key to achievement, you will turn your obstacles into opportunities.

By Jeff Keller

Irby F. Stewart