MORTON, Ill. (WMBD) – The pandemic has changed the way the world works and how people work. Now, a Morton business is filling a void when it comes to providing more remote workspace.

“It gave me discipline. It gave me kind of structure to my day,” said Brian Getz, referring to coworking.

The concept involves people from different businesses, organizations and companies remotely working in a communal space.

Getz discovered the concept while living in Colorado as a freelancer. It was something he had previously been unfamiliar with.  

“I didn’t know what it was. I saw a sign for it and I thought, ‘Maybe I need this.’ And then I started using it and I couldn’t live without it after I used it,” he said.

When Getz and his family moved back to central Illinois, he and his wife decided to take some of the work out of remote working, opening their business, Hub & Spoke Coworking in Morton.

“My hope is that it connects people, and that it helps with a lot of the anxieties. Isolation can be a depressing thing for a lot of home based workers and businesses. So, hopefully, this brings them out and connects them with other people that are kind of like-minded.”

BRIAN GETZ

The business name plays on Getz’s passion for bikes, as well as the nature of remote work: the core company being the hub and the satellite employees being the spokes.

At Hub & Spoke Coworking, customers have daily or 24/7 access to desks, conference rooms and private offices, all depending on which membership plan works best for them. 

Getz brought the business to life in the end of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. 

“It was kind of like all business came to a halt. Everyone was trying to figure out what’s going on,” said Getz. “But it actually reinforced our thinking that remote work is the way of the future.”

Since its opening, the business has continued to grow. Getz said about 10 members are currently on the roster. And after recently undergoing a months-long expansion to triple space, Getz anticipates even more remote workers will find value in coworking space. 

“Ideally, it’s a community resource. At the end of the day, it’s a place for productivity. It’s a place for collaboration, and if we’re able to provide that to Morton and the surrounding area, then that’s something we can feel really good about.”

For more information about Hub & Spoke Coworking, visit the website.