Women encouraged to start businesses

“We know it is the Anishinabe way of life to work in clusters.”
Those were the comments of Linda McGuire, Aboriginal mentoring coordinator with PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, as she spoke about creating clusters during the launch of a new series of online workshops aimed at connecting Aboriginal women from northern communities with northern business leaders.
“Craft groups, cultural and traditional circles are great examples of clusters in a traditional setting,” McGuire said. “Through this training, PARO will show participants how to apply traditional practices to achieve business success. Together, we will look forward at the path to self-sufficiency and teach women how dreams can come true.”
PARO plans to deliver the series of six online learning workshops throughout the month of May for women who are looking to start, grow or build a business and new networks across the region.
The workshops include: What is a Cluster by Jessica Hill from Women’s Economic Council on May 3, How a Cluster Works by Sandi Boucher from Centre for Change on May 10, My First Step – Pathway to Success by Linda McGuire, Cassie Riddle and Darlene Angeconeb on May 17, My Shooniah (Money) by Kim Bird from Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund on May 24 and Social Networking by Alice Sabourin on May 30.
“I think it would be beneficial for the women to learn about starting their own businesses,” said Angeconeb, project coordinator with Equay-wuk (Women’s Group). “My role within the workshops would be to help them start women’s groups, to help them develop their mission statements and their objectives.”
Angeconeb emphasized some of the successes achieved by women across the north, including a group of about 30-40 beaders in Sandy Lake.
“They’re always a demand for their beadwork,” Angeconeb said. “They can bead and bead and bead. They’re always out — they sell everything.”
Angeconeb said many women also do catering and cooking in their communities.
“There is always a lot of demand for something like pizza,” Angeconeb said. “One lady I see on Facebook is always advertising and saying she has so many pizzas and so many pies. And she serves breakfasts.”
Angeconeb said the knowledge provided through the online workshops would help the women to continue developing their businesses, noting there are high unemployment rates in many northern communities.
“I think it would be beneficial for the women to make their own money and to become empowered with some of the knowledge that we are going to be providing them,” Angeconeb said. “I think it will be very good for them, and for them to teach other women.”
Angeconeb said Equay-wuk also has a home-based business manual on its website for women who are interested in starting a business in their home.
Rosalind Lockyer, executive director at PARO, said the clustering concept and benefits of clustering for business growth is common practice around the world.
“By offering this training online, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise is really addressing an important need,” Lockyer said. “We are finding new ways to empower women within their communities, while promoting economic development in the north.”