Danita Foster, an accomplished professional, made a decision that changed her life. After her second child was born, she decided to leave her job as a corporate communications officer for a public utility and stay at home full-time. “It was so hard to leave my first child and go back to work, I just couldn’t do it the second time,” said Danita.

“I was really worried, though. I know a lot of women who leave the workforce to raise their kids and they have had a really hard time getting back to work after the kids are in school. I didn’t want that to happen to me – I didn’t want to get derailed professionally.” To keep her resume current and her skills sharp, Danita began offering short seminars and training programs as an independent consultant. “I had a tremendous network when I left, I didn’t want to lose it,” she said.

Some of her clients were so impressed with her services, they made her permanent job offers. “When I looked at what it would cost to have two kids in daycare full-time, even the good offers just didn’t make economic sense. In addition to losing that time with my girls, I wouldn’t bring enough take home pay back to make it worth while,” said Danita.

Given that, Danita decided to continue consulting and training, which provided her with a flexible schedule to accommodate her family’s needs. “I wanted the freedom of being self-employed and I wanted to be there for my kids. Unfortunately, to keep my small business going, I  had to be available when someone called, and I had to maintain a speaking schedule. That wasn’t what I wanted.”

Danita looked at several business service solutions. “I had heard about virtual assistants, and that seemed like what I needed. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer the scheduling and personal phone services I wanted. Then I found this telephone answering service; it was exactly what I needed.”

Danita, who had been relying on her cell phone for her business, routed all calls to her answering service. A week or more in advance, Danita tells the staff what hours she will be willing to work in a certain week. “I can say, ‘I’ll work Tuesday and Thursday afternoon,’ and they’ll see to it I’m booked those days. I don’t have to make any excuses; I don’t have to apologize for making time for my kids.”

For the past year, Danita has been utilizing the professional answering service. “I am happier and more settled now than I have ever been,” she said. “I work when I want and I can walk back into the workforce in a few years without ever having that black hole on my resume. This has been a terrific option for me and my family.”

Learn more about telephone answering services and discover how the might be able to help you.