The Women’s Business Center in Fayetteville has established a membership program to help small-business owners network with one another.

The model is similar to a chamber of commerce or larger business organization, but with a less expensive cost to join. The $100 membership fee is meant to appeal to startups that don’t have much money on hand.

The program starts Monday.

Meena Ahuja, director of the Women’s Business Center, said clients have been asking for this service for some time. Ahuja said some small businesses could not afford a higher fee to join the Cumberland County Business Council.

The Women’s Business Center unsuccessfully tried to get the CCBC to offer a discounted rate to their clients, Ahuja said.

“Our clients are real small business owners,” Ahuja said. “Right now, they do not get enough networking — we are going to help with that.”

Gary Cooper, the interim president of the Cumberland County Business Council, said the CCBC has always been supportive of the Women’s Business Center, and has referred small businesses to it in the past.

“We just feel we need to be fair to our 1,300 members,” Cooper said. “It’s not in our best interest” to offer a reduced rate.

However, Cooper said he thinks the new endeavor will be a good niche for startup businesses.

“It will enable them to have some good contact with other successful small business folks,” he said.

Cooper doesn’t foresee the new membership campaign having any negative effect on the Business Council’s membership numbers.

The Women’s Business Center, located on Hay Street, has loaned more than $1.6 million to fund business startups and expansions. Its funding sources include the U.S. Small Business Administration, the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and private donations.

The center’s clients are a variety of entrepreneurs, not just women.

With the new membership program, the center will offer monthly coffee meetings with speakers, reduced-fee classes ($25 to $175), inclusion in a membership directory, reduced-rate advertising opportunities and Internet access.

She said the center is implementing a micro-loan program that should start in November. Loan amounts will be from $500 to $5,000. Small businesses, she said, don’t typically require lots of start-up money.

The center plans to add more services.

“This is just a basic package we are starting out with,” Ahuja said. “As time goes on, we will look at other options. Right now, the clients we’ve talked to are very excited. They’re asking, ‘When can we bring the money to sign up?’”

The Women’s Business Center in Fayetteville started eight years ago and was the first of its kind in the state. Since then, it has aided in the startup of more than 80 businesses. The center has funded and assisted with 150 expansions since 2004. It is one of only three Women’s Business Centers in North Carolina and serves six other counties.

“Small businesses are going to be the backbone of this community,” Ahuja said, “and they need to help each other. That’s the passion behind it.”