ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – When Katie Trevino opened The Domain, a shared office space business in Abilene back in 2018, she didn’t know what lied ahead.

“We were a perfect resource but we didn’t realize what we were until it happened,” Trevino said.

When the pandemic hit, Trevino saw first-hand how many Abilineans needed what she had to offer there. One of which, is Amos Van Horn, who needed a place to work remotely, which his job required.

“Everything else kind of shut down with the pandemic, it was really important, I think, for my mental health to get out and work in a place with other people,” Van Horn explained.

Van Horn rented a full office space at The Domain, and said it gave him a sense of community that he was missing being at home, making the transition from the office a little easier.

“We’re a really good jump between your home office or your garage,” Trevino said with pride.

This is exactly why some Abilineans like Van Horn made the jump.

“Even without the pandemic, working remotely can really get quite boring,” Van Horn said.

This is something, Trevino said, she often helps remote workers avoid.

“When everything started back up again, everybody was able to work remotely and it was our job to get our name out there and the word out there, that says, ‘hey we are a resource for those who work remotely,'” Trevino said.

The Sanctuary Shared Workspace will be another workspace option in Abilene, which is coming soon.