SAN MARCOS, Texas - According to data from Small Business Labs, nearly 22 million Americans will be working out of shared, co-working office space by 2020.

It's a popular option to save on rent for business in Austin. 

The trend started last year, and San Marcos was quick to open its first communal workspace around the same time.

Carina Boston Pinales opened Splash Co-Working space in San Marcos in 2017.

For a small monthly fee, the space hosts people of all industries.

"We see a number of entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses that need a home, that need a community to connect with," said Boston Pinales. 

Small business owner Chris Perez says for him and his team, the need for a dedicated office space is virtually obsolete.

"Sometimes locking in a dedicated workspace can be expensive for us, so Splash provides opportunities for entrepreneurs like myself to get into a workspace," Perez said.   

It's great for his company's bottom line, too.

"I'm thinking that I'm saving at least 80 percent monthly," Perez said.   

And with that many Americans opting for communal workspace, there’s more opportunity for cross-industry networking.

"You get to meet people, other creative folks, entrepreneurs, and we're getting a chance to interact with folks that you might not normally run into or get a chance to speak with," Perez said.   

Boston Pinales says this is just the beginning when it comes to co-working spaces.

"This is just a small seed in how we develop and how we shift and change and adapt to the needs of our community and the business sector," said Boston Pinales.  

She may have started the first in the area, but if trends continue, it likely won't  be the last.