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22- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 14, 1997 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" For Self Starters Program aims to give rural business women the edge By Heather McCrae Port Perry Star If you're a woman living on a farm or in the country and have always had a yen to start up your own busi- ness, you'll be interested in a program designed to help rural women launch their own business. WRED (Women and Ru- ral Economic Develop- ment) is announcing a new program called Self Start, designed to train ru- ral women how to run their own business. Fund- ed by the Agricultural Ad- aptation Council, Self Start is a 42-week devel- opment program -that fo- cuses on business plan creation, marketing strat- egies, business financing, record keeping, network- ing skills, selling tech- niques and much more. After taking a pilot course in 1993, Dorothea Helms of Sunderland is a graduate of the Self Start program. She has success- fully turned her hobby of writing into a lucrative business. For years Mrs. Helms had enjoyed writing. But when she turned 40, she reached a decision: "If I was going to try and make writing into a business, then now was the time I'd have to do it." After taking a creative writing course at Durham College in 1992, Mrs. Helms signed up for the Self Start program the fol- lowing year. Two positive developments emerged out of these two programs. First, she is currently teaching that same crea- tive writing course at the . Uxbridge campus of Dur- ham College and, second- ly, she now operates her own successful business, Write Stuff Writing Seér- vices, based out of her home. The Self Start program was so advantageous for Mrs. Helms, she calls it a "thumbs up" experience. "It started me off and 'now I have a successful business today," she says. Writing and editingon a freelance basis, Mrs. Helms currently writes for several national and re- gional magazines, writes promotional pieces for sev- eral municipalities and 'does plenty of advertising writing, as well. She also conducts workshops and seminars on writing and website creations. If you're a rural woman thinking about starting up hhh ddhddhhdhddddhnd Stockhouse Folk Ant R.R.2 Oakwood - Corner of Hwy. 7 & 46 (2 miles east of Manilla) OPEN HOUSE January 24th & 25th 10:00 am to 4:00 pm * reasonable prices for supplies * classes for new & experienced painters * 8 weeks, 3 hr classes, moming & evening * large selection of new pattems Jennifer Currie 705-357-3204 LATLOM Associates Inc. DJ RAY D1 2G BROAN AY AOI AH 2D Port Perry Ontario (905) 985-4547 NEXT COURSE STARTS: February 6th $ 6:00pm to 9:10pm) Call & Register Now your own business, you can attend a free informa- tion session at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of- fices at 60 Vanedward Drive (Unit 1) in Port Perry on Thursday (Jan. 16), running from 10 a.m. to noon, please call Mar- tha Pendlebury at 1-800- 407-6419 to register. After the two-hour ses- sion, you can sign up for a full-day "ideas and feasi- bility" workshop at the OMAFRA offices on Jan. 28. After this workshop ap- plicants can apply for the 42-week development pro- gram. Although Self Start is funded by the AAC, there is a $100 fee to par- take in the program. "You learn how to mar- ket and network your business," Mrs. Helms says. "This is very critical. After all, we do live in a ru- ral area." She also stresses women learn how to bal- ance a home business with a family, as well. When Mrs. Helms signed up for the course, she was one of a variety of women interested in start- ing up their own business. "One woman wanted to Dorothea Helms gives the Self Start program a thumbs up after it helped her on her way to starting a successful writing and editing business. An information session for the program is coming up this week. See story for details. start up a maple syrup business, while another wanted to market cosmet- ics and others wanted to start up a business selling crafts. The training is also in- valuable in other ways too. Mrs. Helms recalls two women who thought they had aspirations of starting their own business. "But once they found out all the necessary aspects of start- ing up, they opted to not getinvolved. : "By taking this course, they faced the realities of starting their own busi- ness. It saved them from starting a business, then seeing it fold within a couple of years," she said. "You come out of this course with a business plan," she says. "That's critical and steers you in the right direction." "Even those who didn't 'start their own business, felt- they'd gained valuable knowledge and learned how important it is to do proper networking." Plan on coming out to the free information ses- sion at the OMAFRA offic- es on Jan. 16 from 10 to noon. board of directors. extension 337. Child Care Forum now seeking new directors The Durham Region Child Care Forum is currently seeking dedicated individuals wishing to share their skills and knowledge by becoming involved on the The Durham Region Child Care Forum is commit- ted to the attainment of a comprehensive child care system in Durham Region. For more information, please call (905) 427-8862 GUARANTEED INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES * ANNUAL RATES - 1 YEAR..........coco...........3.85% 2 YEAR. .......ooeeeeerrn 8.30% 3 YEAR.........................5.00% 4 YEAR.........................5.30% 5 YEAR........cccceeee0eee... 5.70% 30 DAY.......cccorerreee00ena 2.70% Rates subject to change without notice SCUGOG FINANCIAL SERVICES A DIVISION OF CRESSBROOK FINANCIAL PLANNING LTD. 250 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY "Serving Scugog for Over 15 Years" PHONE 985-3832 - no Fees Snowmobile thefts mounting already From Page 1 again overnight and this time Friday (Jan. 10), thieves dragged a snow- mobile out of a fenced yard on Allen St. in Port Perry into a field. There they managed to start the '94 Polaris and ride away on it. Blowing snow obscured the trail and hampered the investigation. 0 In one other incident this past week, thieves Palliative care struck at a Simcoe St. home in Port Perry some- time between Jan. 8 and 10, making off with a large haul of property. Among the items stolen after thieves gained entry through a back door were a chain saw and weed eater, an outboard motor and a 1991 Suzuki ATV, stereo equipment, about 150 CDs and albums, and two barbecues. An investigation into that theft continues. course being held at hospital A palliative care train- ing course will be held at Oshawa General Hospital on two consecutive Thurs- days, Feb. 13 and 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The course is ideally suited to those who would like to acquire the skills to volunteer in palliative care but those with a more general interest in the top- ic are also welcome. The course is being run by the Volunteer Services Dept. and the fee for the course and all material handoutsis $40. To obtain information or to register for the course please call Volunteer Ser- vices at (9065) 433-4301. a III i Aoi boa AR iE al i vas es a I ee a a a TN a re Aa i SS SS all Sal as a a i ol asl