PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Supports Women in Business
It’s a beautiful day at PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise! Our work is so rewarding in so many ways. Working with women, supporting them, and watching their success is the greatest of awards. However, sometimes others recognize what we do! At the inaugural Canadian Women’s Entrepreneurs Awards Gala (CWE 2023), PARO was honoured to receive the Empower Women in Business Award. Sharing an evening with women leaders and entrepreneurs from across Canada including several from Thunder Bay, ON – this was a perfect place to announce our newest project – PARO Canada! PARO Canada will expand PARO’s support services into several new provinces across the nation.
It is finally summer in Northern Ontario and for business owners, it’s a time of new growth and planning for the year ahead! For women in business in Canada, opportunities abound to create strong, sustainable, and profitable enterprises that strengthen the fabric of the Canadian economy. For women in Northern Ontario this is especially true, as many existing, new and diverse supports continue to develop to help guide women entrepreneurs on their business development journey. Since 1995, PARO Centre for
Women’s Enterprise has supported enterprising women to start, grow and scale their businesses in Ontario through diverse and innovative ways of supporting each individual woman. At PARO, there is something for every enterprising woman; from one-on-one counselling supports, to webinars, BIZCamps, exciting events and Peer Lending Circles, PARO is a one-stopshop for women in Ontario to be inspired, lifted, and empowered to achieve their dreams.
In recent years, PARO has developed several new tools to best support women in business across Ontario. Here are some highlights:
BIZGrowth - To support PARO women in expansion related ventures, PARO’s BIZGrowth program is designed for women who own existing businesses and are looking to expand into new markets with a non-repayment portion (NRP) of up to $5000.
WEOC National Loan Fund – This loan fund provides loans up to $50K for those whose applications meet the specific criteria for start-up or expansion.
BIZCamps - PARO offers a series of BIZCamps with targeted activities to achieve specific outcomes. To support in scale-up and growth ventures, PARO’s Jetsetter BIZCamp is designed for enterprising women who have been in business for at least one year, with current sales of $50K, who wish to scale their business and achieve sales of $250K or more. At the next stage, PARO’s Elevate BIZCamp is designed for women in business who wish to bring their sales from $250K to over $1M! Visit https://paro.ca/bizcamps/ today to learn more about PARO’s BIZCamps and discover your best fit!
Peer Lending Circles - Between PARO’s organic support structure and connections to business counsellors to support clients at every stage of their business, peer support remains a vital foundation to success. Did you know that women who are supported by a circle of peers are seven times more likely to achieve success? PARO’s Peer Lending Circles offer a variety of benefits for its members, including funding and networking opportunities, and the important benefits that come from gaining access to a group of likeminded women who can support you on your business journey.
If you have a business idea, want to grow your scale your business, or want to learn more about entrepreneurship can be your vehicle toward achieving your goals, reach out to PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise by phone at 807-625-0328 or by email at info@paro.ca. For 28 years, PARO has supported women to achieve their business dreams!
PARO would like to extend an enthusiastic invite to the PARO Awards Gala 2023, to be held at the Delta Hotel on November 23rd, 2023! We hope to see you there! Save the date!