In this Issue:

July 17, 18, 19   
PARO on Wheels EAST

Fueling Connections

The Business Accelerator

PARO Programs

July 10  Dragonfly Symposium

Connecting You to a Fit & Healthy Lifestyle

Community Notes & Events

 

 

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 July 17, 18 and 19, the PARO On Wheels team will be traveling east to visit Wawa, Manitouwadge, and Marathon .  They will make stops along the route for one-on-one appointments if requested. 

If you want to set up an appointment to meet with any one of this week’s “On the Road Team,” please give Anke a call (807.625.0328) or email her (paroonwheels@paro.ca).  

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

 

July 25 Leads and Links is being planned right now!  It will be hosted by Willow Springs on Mapleward Road in Kaministiquia.  Look for more information next week’s PARO Link!  

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.  

More Resources for You

Blogging is out.  Microblogging is in.  Social networking has become quite popular recently and it is a key tool for developing one’s business:  to assist with connecting with customers, clients, and friends. 

First came e-mail. Then text messaging and instant messaging. Blogging followed.  Now there's micro-blogging — sharing life's big and small moments with the world through frequent, short messages. 

The concept is fairly simple — users send messages of about 140-200 characters in length to those who have signed up to receive them. They can be sent by cellphone and routed to people on other networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.  

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070704.wgttwitter0704/BNStory/Technology/home

 

NEW Child Tax Credit

Effective July 1, a new "Child Tax Credit" is available to people with children under the age of 18. Here is a link to the Canada Revenue Agency's page with information on the new credit:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/agency/budget/2007/taxcredit-e.html  

A tax credit is not the same as a tax deduction. The credit, like other tax credits, is used to reduce the amount of tax you pay, if you owe any tax. (Tax deductions, in contrast, reduce the amount of income on which you pay taxes. An RRSP contribution reduces your taxable income. A tax credit reduces the amount of tax you pay. This may sound like a subtle difference but it is in fact a big difference when you are looking at the numbers.)

   

        

 

 

The Business Accelerator

 

Sizzling Offers That Sell Like Crazy

By Larry Dotson

One of the best ways to increase your sales is to offer your potential customers special offers. It could be trial offers, discounts, purchase awards, etc. Below are seven sizzling offers you could use to sell your products like crazy.

• You could offer your potential customers a free sample of your product. If the sample proves what you claim, there is a high chance they will buy it.
  
  

• You could give your potential customers a free trial of your product or service. Tell them you won't bill them for 30 days.
  
  

• You could offer your potential customers a rebate after they buy your product or service. They will feel they are getting a good deal.
  
  

• You could offer your potential customers a monthly payment plan. Tell them they can pay for your product or service with three easy, monthly payments.
  
  

• You could reward your potential customers if they buy a specific number of products. Tell them if they buy three or more products, they will get one free.
  
  

• You could reward your potential customers if they spend over a specific dollar amount. Tell them if they spend more than $100, they get a 10% discount.
  
  

• You could hold a holiday sale for your potential customers. e.g. Tell them everything on your Web site is discounted up to 50% on Labour Day.

 

  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.              

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



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

July 10 - Dragonfly Symposium @ Chippewa

Connecting You to a Fit & Healthy Lifestyle

 

Rain, rain go away – give us some sun and make our day!! 

Every one of us, at times, can be the queen/king of the “I can’t exercise today because……!” Excuses, excuses! Well, we can’t change the weather, it’s going to be too rainy, too hot, too cold, too windy, too early, too late, too anything that is not a solution!!!

I know you are going on vacation and that summer is soooo… short, but don’t let any of these things get in the way of keeping up your fitness routine!! Here are a few suggestions to make sure that you keep moving this summer!

No Time:  Take three 10-minute exercise breaks. Research has shown that the key is exercising for a total of 30 to 60 minutes a day, and it does NOT have to be done in a single daily session. Breaking up your workouts into several “mini-sessions” can be just as beneficial to your health and that waistline!

Family Reunion: Turn your exercise into a family activity! Invite everyone (even Great Uncle Fred) to go for a walk to the park, or challenge your brothers, sister, daughters, sons, nieces and nephews to get up off their lawn chairs or towels and get in the water to play water tag or see who can water run the fastest or longest! Everyone’s a winner!  

Traveling: Choose e a hotel with a health club or fitness room on site. An increasing number of hotels throughout the world are tuning into consumers’ desire for fitness. If the hotel lacks such a facility, ask about a nearby gym (tip: sometimes you’ll even be given a complimentary day or week pass).

Going camping, no gym: Take it with you; cords, bands, skipping ropes! They are easily packed, lightweight goodies that can be toted anywhere .

Challenge yourself: See how many steps you can log on your vacation. Clip on a pedometer, a device that clips to your belt and measures the total steps you take in a day. Most of us average 4,000-6,000 steps a day, but your goal should be 10,000-12,000 minimum!

Make it an excellent summer! There are no excuses, only solutions, to make sure that you get up and get going!!

Deb

Deb Coulis - Lifestyle Coach
Coulis Connection

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

 

Saturday Wellness Mornings in July & August - FREE !

 

As part of the Neighbourhood Strategic Plan in the Simpson Ogden Neighbourhood, the Evergreen Health Committee is hosting Saturday Wellness Mornings in Minnesota Park throughout July and August.

These will be free, one hour classes outside in Minnesota Park from  9:30 - 10:30 a.m. taught by qualified instructors.

There will be classes on Tai Chi, Yoga and Stretching throughout the summer.   Everyone is welcome to these classes, and it is in an effort to build  community and promote health and wellness.

Please pass this on to your friends and networks. You don't have to live in  the neighbourhood to participate.

The first class is this Saturday, 9:30am - 10:30am,  and it will be Tai Chi with Master  Peng.
Everyone is welcome and no experience is necessary !

Below is a link to a map showing Minnesota Park - it's sandwiched between Minnesota St and Spring St. across the street from  the Polish Hall, near Simpson and Pacific.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Polish+Hall,+Thunder+Bay

 

 

Community Notes & Events

 

 

Family Fishing Day Sunday, July 8, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Hazelwood Lake Conservation Area No fishing license is required this date for Canadian residents. Learn to safely fish from a canoe or kayak courtesy of Wilderness Supply Co. Ltd. Door prizes Courtesy of Canadian Tire - Arthur St. Admission is $2/vehicle or use your 2007 Explorer Card. Call 344-5857 for information. http://www.lakeheadca.com/

 

                                                             

 

OPENING FRIDAY, JULY  13th 

8 Court Street South    
   Friday - 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
 807-346-0409   chenierfinearts@tbaytel.net    www.chenierfinearts.ca