When Tiburon mom Catherine Clifford was ready to return to work, she was frustrated by the dearth of family-friendly options and resources available. She found she wasn’t alone. Other moms were worried that the time they took off to raise families made them obsolete in the workplace.

Concerned about the brain drain to society, Clifford and friend Millie Froeb saw an unfulfilled niche and together launched youronramp.com in 2007. The Web site serves as a resource for women in career transition, and offers social networking, career resources and job opportunities.

With the dawn of the new year (and the condition of today’s economy), many moms are reevaluating their career options. Clifford discusses some of the challenges and opportunities for Bay Area moms and explains why it always pays to keep a foothold in the workplace.

What are on the minds of moms these days in regards to their careers?

Post-financial meltdown, I see families being much more conservative in their options. Women are thinking twice about taking time off for the kids and are looking for ways to stay engaged (and employable).

Instead of fully leaving the workforce to care for family, what other options should moms consider ?

When moms come to me and ask for advice, I tell them not to quit. Ask for an unpaid sabbatical, part-time or flex hours, and try to make it work. If your employer is unwilling to work with you and/or you’re ready to move on, make sure you maintain your business contacts. Offer your services to your prior employer on a contract basis. Take on a few projects a year to maintain your currency so you’ll have something to return to when you’re ready to return to your career.

For women seeking to return to work, what should they keep in mind during the process?

We have a 10-step plan for returning to work at youronramp.com/career/resources. Many women don’t want to return to their same career, so working with a career coach on a self-assessment can be really valuable. Some women want to dive back in with a formal program like those offered by many business schools. If you haven’t kept up with social media, you need to get up to speed before you start interviewing. Blogging about a subject that interests you is also a good strategy to make connections and bring you up to speed in social media.

What advice do you have for women wanting to start their own businesses?

Starting a new business is like remodeling a house: it will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you budget. Be realistic. If possible, start as a consultant so you can determine your market value and get paid for your time.