Draper » Tatum Haugen wasn't sure what to expect at the Women's Business Club meeting, but she thought she'd check it out.

Haugen, 25, was laid off from her job at a law firm last summer and turned her baking hobby into a business, starting Tate's Tortes in the fall. To get clients, a consultant encouraged her to attend networking groups.

After her first meeting last week, Haugen was impressed with the group and hopes to return more often.

"I definitely see the value of it," she said. "It's nice to find a place where people are willing to network for you."

The Women's Business Club is a new, women-only, networking group in the Salt Lake Valley.

The idea of starting the club began last fall among a few women discussing the need for such a group at an Art of Business2 networking meeting, said club founder, Susan Gay Carter.

Merrie Hudson shortly afterward started a women's networking group in Utah County. Carter said she then began the Salt Lake City area club in January.

Carter, a South Salt Lake resident who runs a home business, has been an active member of the coed True Loyal Connections Networking -- Utah (TLC) for six years and attends several networking groups along the Wasatch Front. But at some other women-only networking groups, she said some members are "snooty." At some coed groups, she said sometimes it feels like it's a "battle between the sexes." Carter said there's "a close, comfy feeling" at club meetings she's never experienced at other groups.

"Sometimes, men and women intimidate each other," she said. "There's a strength in our sisterhood."

Carter said the club caters to women who don't want to meet over a meal or too late in the work day. She said most club members prefer morning meetings.

Carter said her goal for the group is to empower women, build their confidence and help them create better alliances. "I've tried to help them feel good about themselves," she said.

The group is meeting three times a month. Carter said she hopes to increase the number of meetings along the Salt Lake Valley as the group grows.

So far, the club has about 75 members. From about a dozen to about 25 women, ages 25 to 65, attend the meetings, Carter said.

At each meeting, each woman gets 30 seconds to talk about her business and later 15 seconds to give a testimonial about a woman (or her business) in the group.

During a club meeting last week, Michelle Colvin, of Salt Lake City, received several compliments from other club members about Norwex products, the environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies she sells.

Colvin said she heard about the club through TLC and has enjoyed the "new, small and fun" group. She said she's surprised to see such support among members, especially among those who sell similar products.

"I didn't expect so much community support," she said.

jsanchez@sltrib.com