The PARO Link
Vol. # 04 - Issue # 21 - Friday, May 25, 2007

In this Issue:

Fueling Connections

The Business Accelerator

May 28 Biz & Bagels

PARO Programs

New @ PARO Presents

June 6 Influential Women Awards

June 9 MEMO - Cuba Ships Again

Community Notes & Events

 


CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY TO MAKE THE 
SLEEPING GIANT ONE OF THE 
SEVEN WONDERS OF CANADA !

Vote here

 

 

A big thank you to Cheryl at Brickhost for rebuilding and reworking our PARO Link template and coding .  No more truncated editions !

 

Fueling Connections



 

The PARO On Wheels team will be traveling East from May 30th to June 1.  They will be hosting a networking event in Marathon on Thursday May 31, in the evening at Norvista Art. 

Please call (807.625-0328) or email Bobby Jo (bobbyjo@paro.ca) for more information. 

While the rest of their schedule is not confirmed at this time, they will potentially be visiting Manitouwadge, Pic River , Schreiber, Red Rock, and Nipigon. 

If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please contact Bobby Jo.

June 5, 6 & 7 will see the PARO on Wheels team traveling to Dryden, Ear Falls, and area.  They will be participating in the Ear Falls Town Council Meeting on Wednesday June 6. 

Please call Anke (807.625.0328) or email her (paroonwheels@paro.ca) to set up an appointment. 



Mark your calendars for the next PARO Leads & Links and our annual bar-b-q.  The next Leads & Links will be Wednesday, June 27th, 5:00pm - 7:00pm at Rosalind Lockyer's home.  Details and directions will be in 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.  Contact Deborah Poole-Hoffmann at graphx@tbaytel.net 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.

PARO Peer Lending Circles

PARO Peer Lending Circles are groups of 4-7 women who are in business, are prospective entrepreneurs, or believe in women helping women.  Circles provide peer support, the opportunity to access and share business knowledge as well as a variety of perspectives and experience.  Circle members also have access to small business loans. 

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

 

More Resources for You

Do you struggle to balance your home and your business under the same roof?  Check out this article: http://www.kickstartguy.com/articles/byob8.html

Do you wonder what the secret is to balance all the demands on your time?  Check out this article from Canadian Business:  http://tinyurl.com/35g4fn

   

    

 

 

Calling All PARO Circles...

 

PARO Peer Lending Circles 

PARO is very excited to introduce the four newest members of our team:  

· Christine Sikerbol is the Program Assistant and Loans Officer .  She can be reached at loansofficer@paro.ca

· Anke Starratt is the Paro on Wheels Coordinator.  She can be reached at paroonwheels@paro.ca

· Pamela Caland is the Northern Opportunities for Women Coordinator.  She can be reached at now@paro.ca

· Laura MacIver is the Regional Development Coordinator.  She can be reached at outreach@paro.ca

 

These four women over the next few weeks will be contacting all members of the Peer Circles to further develop and nurture PARO ’s relationship with the circle members.  They are eager to learn more about each of PARO ’s Circles and Members.  We encourage you to contact Pam if you have any questions or concerns. 


The Business Accelerator


Ideas On Creating Your Own Business Advisory Group

 

Invite your customers to be on your business advisory board, and make sure all of them are from non-similar fields as yours.

Setup a website for your group. Make it exclusive. Use the human 'need to belong' and 'ego' to give public recognition of these folks who have accepted your invitation to be part of your "club".

Give your Advisory Group a brand name. We're not talking about a brand name that you invest large lumps of money in, but rather make it special, and have someone on your staff or yourself create a logo for your group. This will build unity, and add value to each member who officially belongs to it.

Create a year long agenda, and brainstorm SPECIFIC reasons or benefits that each person would like to get out of the group. By creating a year long schedule, you won't be wasting time deciding each month when and where the next meeting will be.

Who says you have to meet face to face? Why not do it via teleconferencing or Email or Live Chat? Use technology to open up talent, perspective, and greater input from around the world.

Add some creativity into it. Go to the zoo. Go to the prison. Create a theme for each meeting. Send out invitations on different colored paper that ties in with the theme. All of these ideas are cheap, but make it fun to be a part of, which also creates value for your new "outside perspective team."

 

 

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.            



May 28th - Biz and Bagel




Next Biz and Bagel Monday, May 28th


Featuring: Cindy Maki, True Vision Coaching & Debbie Squier-Bernst, A Step Beyond

Presenting... "Collaborations in Business"

Biz & Bagels are open to the public and we welcome you to join us
Mondays, 12:15pm - 1:15pm @ PARO Centre

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.




 

New @ PARO Presents...

 

Do you need a birthday, wedding or baby gift, including beautifully hand crafted greeting cards?  
Visit PARO Presents and see the wide selection we have to offer. 

              What's New in the Store this week?

 

  Home Sewing by Wendy 
  Wendy has hand sewing polar fleece receiving blankets, flannelette baby blankets, children's fleece housecoats   and skating wraparound jackets, and flannel pajama pants
 
  Creative Cross Stitch by Faith
  Faye has been working hard to make new carry bags and hand purses of all sizes, in addition to different    
  coloured terry towel wraps, (summer wraps are at a reduced price.)
 
  Luisa's Creations 
    Luisa has brought in new jewelry and bright coloured baby booties.
 
  Marcia Arpin
  Marcia has thought up beautifully hand crafted Tole painting on Fairy Tooth Boxes or jewelry boxes, in addition to 
  her children's activity books, Spring Daze and Snow Daze.
 
 
Don't forget to browse in Polly's Cupboard on the Lower Level of the Store.  Remember we are always willing to take donations of clothes and "knick knacks".  Just remember us when you are getting your house in shape and want to know what to do with all your spring cleaning items.

     
111 May Street North (near May & Victoria)
Thunder Bay, ON
807.623.2200

 

A Word From Service Canada



Beware of Fraudulent Activities

Service Canada is warning Internet users about emails asking them to visit a Web site fraudulently posing as the Service Canada Web site and provide their personal information, such as Social Insurance Number, date of birth and banking information.

It is important that anyone receiving these emails not reply to them or provide any personal information.

If you have already responded to this email, please contact Service Canada immediately at 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232) (TTY 1 800 926-9105).

Service Canada does not use emails to obtain confidential information from clients.

Please be assured that Service Canada is doing everything it can to protect users of its Internet service against any type of fraudulent activity. 

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca:80/en/about/phish.shtml

 

 

June 6th - Influential Women Awards

 

 

 

Nominate a Top Woman Entrepreneur

 

WANTED: A FEW GOOD WOMEN  

NOMINATE ONE OF CANADA'S TOP WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS TODAY!

 

Now in its 9th year, the PROFIT W100: Canada's Top Women Entrepreneurs is the country's largest celebration of women entrepreneurship. It's the definitive list of Canada's leading women-owned and women-run businesses, ranked by revenue.

Past winners say this honour has garnered them valuable publicity, new clients and relationships with other dynamic companies. It’s also an excellent way to recognize the efforts of employees—so don’t hesitate to nominate yourself!

Winners will be recognized in the November 2007 issue of PROFIT magazine and year-round at PROFITguide.com. They'll also receive a complimentary invitation to the PROFIT W100 Idea Exchange, a powerful business-building conference at which W100 leaders share ideas, learn from experts and enjoy unmatched networking opportunities.

Request a nomination package by calling1-800-713-GROW or completing the online ballot at www.PROFITguide.com/w100ballot


Deadline: June 30, 2007

 

 

 MEMO Cuba - Contribute to the Containers

 

Medical Equipment Modernization Opportunity - MEMO - will be shipping their next two containers to Cuba on June 9th and 10th.  Contact Natalie Wahl at 345-6455 for information  on how to contribute or donate.

Bare Naked Babies continues - voluntarily handmade by Loretta Shymko, this welcoming gift contains a soft blanket and outfit.   Check in with PARO Presents for a Bare Naked Babies gift certificate that can be given in lieu of gifts at your next event. 

 

 

 

 

Call for Papers - Women in Agriculture

 

Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society

Special Issue: Women and Agriculture

As agriculture becomes increasingly globalized, feminist concerns about women and agriculture revolve around issues of food security, social justice, and sustainability. Women across the globe have always played major roles in agricultural production, contributing substantially to food production and food security, but they often work in difficult conditions with low pay and inadequate access to land and capital. Despite women's considerable role in agricultural production, they are markedly absent at the policy level in multinational corporations, international institutions, and national and state governments that determine directions for agriculture.

 

The intersections of gender, race, class, ethnicity, and nationality are, and have been historically, central to the politics of agriculture, structuring who produces food, who benefits from this global food system, and who eats. Women agriculturalists in the Global South are particularly vulnerable to free trade agreements that advantage agribusiness in Western nations. Women are nonetheless active in resisting the increasing globalization and corporatization of food. 

 

For this special issue we invite international, transnational, and comparative studies that engage theoretical and historical analyses of women and agriculture; and analyses of racial, ethnic, and gendered dimensions of agriculture. We seek manuscripts on women and sustainable agriculture, on women in leadership and decision-making positions, and in feminist science studies pertaining to women's knowledge and changing agricultural practices

The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2008. Guidelines for submission are
available at http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/Signs/instruct.html

 

 


Community Notes & Events



CAST YOUR VOTE TO MAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT ONE OF THE 
SEVEN WONDERS OF CANADA !

CBC is searching for the Seven Wonders of Canada and they need our help.  After 25,000 submissions, a short-list of 52 nominees has been posted on the CBC website.

Thunder Bay's Sleeping Giant has made that short-list.  Cast your vote for the Sleeping Giant here.  

Share this with your family, friends, and colleagues to help promote Thunder Bay and share a piece of this city's wonderful natural beauty. 

Full listing of all nominees.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



PARO Events Calendar

The PARO events calendar will list all dates, times and places of events that will be held during the next few months. Unless otherwise specified, events will be held @ PARO Place. Please contact the office at 625-0328 for any information. All Biz and Bagels will take place from 12:15pm until 1:15pm.

May

28th - Biz and Bagels ~ "Collaborations in Business"  Cindy Maki, True Vision Coaching & Debbie  
           Squier-Bernst, A Step Beyond


PARO Centre For Women's Enterprise - 110-105 May Street North, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 3N9
Tel: 807.625.0328 Fax: 807.625.0317 Website: http://www.paro.ca/ Email: info@paro.ca

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Please Note: Due to the popularity of the PARO Link, please be informed as follows:

By popular demand, PARO is pleased to offer businesses an opportunity to advertise (within size limits) in the PARO Link.

Fees are set at $20 per ad for PARO Circle members, $25 per ad for PARO Networking Members, and $50 per ad for non-members. Non-members are encouraged to purchase an annual $25 Networking Membership to realize savings.

PARO reserves the right to limit content and size for all PARO Link submissions.

We ask you to keep your special events and/or community announcements to a maximum of 100 words. We cannot guarantee any graphics, please submit in a pdf format. Learning type column submissions must be limited to a maximum of 200 words.