Fueling Connections

Beautiful, colourful Fall is approaching and everyone is getting back into the rhythm of the coming season, and that includes PARO!

Look for the PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Info rmation Centre at the Annual Nipigon Fall Fishing Festival Trade Show, during the long weekend of September 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th.  This is your personal invitation to come over and meet me, Sandra Wiggins.  I’d be pleased to meet you and answer any questions you may have about the PARO organization and about the Northern Opportunities for Women or “NOW” Program, part of our regional outreach initiative with PARO on Wheels.

PARO on Wheels is also “gearing up” with workshops, presentations and opportunities for Women in other areas of   Northwestern Ontario . 

During our next PARO on Wheels trip, the clearly marked silver PARO on Wheels van is scheduled to arrive in Atikokan on September 5^th.

Along the route, our other scheduled stops are:

·         Fort Frances on September 5^th

·         Kenora on September 6^th

·         Dryden on September 7^th

More details to come. Contact and let us know your particular needs, and ideas for workshops and events. Your input is important.

Some of the topics, we have planned over the next couple of months are:

• Exploring Your Entrepreneurial Potential
• Feasibility Studies
• Evaluating Your Market
• Managing Your Operations, and much more.

Laura Diamond, the NOW Regional Coordinator, and Bobby Jo Chenier, one of our business experts,  have just returned from our Easterly Route where they met with interesting women and community partners in White River and Wawa. This was their first time in those communities and they were most impressed. Look for more information on workshops and counselling opportunities in these areas in the future.  If you live in these communities, we invite you to visit our website at www.paro.ca , e-mail or call us on our toll free number and we will match your request with someone who can help you.

An Interesting Resource for You. . .

The Income Security Advocacy Centre  works with and on behalf of low income communities in Ontario to address issues of income security and poverty. The Centre initiates and conducts test case and Charter litigation, law reform and community development related to federal and provincial income security programs such as Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan. Find out more about this important Centre, who recently held workshops in Thunder Bay , by visiting http://www.incomesecurity.org/index.html

PARO Circles

Peer Lending Circles provide access to small business loans to help you get started along with networking opportunities and peer support. Contact Sandra Wiggins or Laura Diamond, or Joni Sharkey, PARO Loans Officer,  to find out how you can benefit from participating in PARO’s circle network, one the most successful peer circle organizations in Canada.

Planning Ahead

Remember, PARO on Wheels travels the Westerly Route near the first full week of each month and the Easterly route, the third week of each month.  Watch and listen for ads and editorials, starting in September, outlining workshops for your area and keep reading “Fueling Connections” as we grow to meet your needs.

Contact Us!

For more information on the upcoming workshops, to schedule a counseling session or to provide input on how to meet your needs, please contact Bobby Jo Chenier , bobbyjo@paro.ca, specializing in Business Development from the idea stage, business plans, and financing; Deborah Poole-Hofmann, specializing in marketing, who can be contacted at the PARO office, Lisa Thomson at lthomson@paro.ca providing individual and group counseling and support in all areas of business development including the formation of the business plan and is a resource for women wishing to secure employment in their own communities. For more information on Peer Lending Circles or travel information, contact Sandra Wiggins, Northern Opportunities for Women Project Coordinator at sandraw@paro.ca ; Laura Diamond, ldiamond@paro.ca, Regional Development Coordinator or Frances Talarico, francest@paro.ca, Program Administrator. Check out our website at www.paro.ca where you will find each counselors’ comprehensive bio and more information about PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise and our programs and services.

Have a wonderful week and we hope to hear from you soon.

Regards, Sandra E. Wiggins

                           

 

PARO Leads & Links

 

Wellness - Homeopathic Remedies

presented by
Kim Irwin & Kristina LeBar
of Activate Healing

The women will speak about natural remedies and specifically, homeopathic, tissue salts, and medicinal herbs. Keep in mind that neither woman is a certified practitioner nor can give advice about remedies. They provide a reference area and library, where people can do research or get their own natural practitioner to call in prescriptions or
phone for consultations about products.

To book your display booth, please contact Deborah Poole-Hofmann at graphx@tbaytel.net

$3 Members/$5 Non Members

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Handmade in Thunder Bay

A showcase of local products and services created by women entrepreneurs in and around the Thunder Bay area.

To book your display booth, please contact Deborah Poole-Hofmann at graphx@tbaytel.net

$3 Members/$5 Non Members

Financial Success

To book your display booth, please contact Deborah Poole-Hofmann at graphx@tbaytel.net

$3 Members/$5 Non Members

 

Women Helping Women

 

Hi Entrepreneurs:

In continuing along the same idea with learning to be more assertive in the workplace, here is a formula you can follow at a moment’s notice to help you confront someone who has said or done something that you do not like.  It is called the W.I.N. Formula (Assertiveness Training Techniques) where you are encouraged to express your reaction but not to humiliate or demean the other person.

 W – stands for WHEN – Talk about the behaviour that you don’t like such as,  “When you don’t call me and arrive late for an appointment…”

I – stands for I -  I feel… (express the feeling or thought) such as, “I feel annoyed that I have spent a lot of time rushing and hurrying to get ready…”

N – stands for NEED – specifically mention what you want to change such as, “I need you to call and let me know when you are going to be late.”

In order to be able to make these W.I.N. statements, we need to be aware of how we are feeling and to be able to express the feelings in words.  Here are some examples:

Blaming:

 “You” Statement  - “You make me so mad.”

 “I” Statements -  “I feel angry when you ….”    OR    “I have chosen to let it bother me when you …

Judging or labeling:

“You” Statement - “You are an inconsiderate, hostile, arrogant creep!”

“I” Statements - “I feel betrayed when you criticize me in front of others.”

Accusing:  

 “You” Statement - “You don’t give a damn about me!”

“I” Statements  -  “I feel neglected when you avoid me.”

Ordering:

 “You” Statement - “You shut up!”

“I” Statements  -  “I feel annoyed when you call me names and make fun of me.”

Questioning:

 “You” Statement - Why did you do that?  I feel like slapping your face.”

“I” Statements  -  “I really feel insecure about our relationship when you flirt.”

Arguing:

 “You” Statement -  “You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I” Statements  -  “I feel convinced it is this way.”

Sarcasm:

 “You” Statement - “Of course, you are an expert!”

“I” Statements  -  “I would like you a lot more if you were a bit more humble.”

Disapproval:

 “You” Statement -  “You are terrible.”

“I” Statements  -  “I feel crushed when you seem only interested in spending my money.”

Threatening:

 “You” Statement -  “You had better…”

“I” Statements  -  “I’d like to be helpful to you.”

Analyzing:

 “You” Statement -  “You can’t stand to leave your mother!”

“I” Statements  -  “I’m disappointed that you are so reluctant to leave…”

(adapted partly from Johnson, 1981)

I hope some of this makes some sense to you but it does require the hard work of really trying to figure out how you are feeling.  Sometimes, it is easier just to blame someone else.  So keep working on getting those “I statements” working for you. I’m quite sure we will make mediators out of all of you, yet! Talk to you next week.

 Cheers,

 Loretta McGregor

 

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