Walking through the Pilsen neighborhood, it was very strange to see the streets so empty.  Passing by closed restaurants and shops was, well, different. Welcome to the coronavirus world.

I came across one brown-bricked building with people inside, who looked like they were working.  Given the times, I ducked inside to check it out.  I soon found out from the owner that I had happened into OFFIX, a new co-working space in Chicago. They are specifically located in neighborhoods, offering easy accessibility.

During a time when fears about the coronavirus mount and many workplaces have shut their doors asking employees to work from home, OFFIX is able to stay open due to reduced risk factors.

“One of the great benefits for our tenants during this challenging time is the fact that they can just walk from their home to their office here at OFFIX,” said the owner, Lior David, who recently opened his first two office complexes. “They avoid the risk of social interaction because they don’t have to take a crowded bus and train. In addition, the offices here are all private, so there is a separation there as well.”

Having previously used co-working spaces in the past, OFFIX is most definitely unique, offering business owners the opportunity to easily access their workplace and eliminate the time, travel and costs required to lease an office downtown. At present, the majority of co-working spaces in Chicago are offered downtown. Besides the Pilsen location I visited at 917 West 18^th Street, Mr. David also opened an OFFIX in Wicker Park at 1200 N. Ashland Avenue. There will be three more locations opening soon in Lincolnwood, Logan Square and Skokie with a total of 10 by the end of 2020.

Very ambitious, but he has a great idea, so why not?

“Today, 99 percent of businesses in the United States are small and medium size companies,” he explained. “50 percent are freelancers who are located outside the downtown areas. They want this solution. There is no benefit to going downtown when they can have a nice, affordable office with a conference room and free parking close to home.”

During my tour through the complex, I was impressed to find out that each office space is private, which would allow professionals to work comfortably, uninterrupted and socially-distanced, which is an important factor these days.  The smallest space can easily accommodate two desks.  And all the offices are sanitized and cleaned on a daily basis, which is another key factor.   Included in the rental cost is the use of conference rooms, printer, kitchen, beverages, special weekly events, spacious restrooms and cleaning services.

I noticed a wide variety of office designs, giving tenants the opportunity to select the office that best meets their needs and preferences. Offices are equipped with refrigerator, furniture, coffee machine, pictures, flowers, carpet, spa, pool table and even some with TVs and PlayStations.

“We work to be a reliable partner for our customers, offering maximum flexibility to be most supportive,” said Mr. David, whose customer-accommodating approach differentiates OFFIX from other co-working spaces I have worked from in the past. “We provide good size office spaces at a fair price, which includes all of the services.”

OFFIX customers include a wide range of businesses from marketing professionals, financial investors, movie production companies, lawyers, real estate agents, security firms, technology experts and podcast producers. And they will be adding a new tenant very soon, a writer. If anyone else is interested, you can check out www.OFFIX-usa.com.