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Economic recession, political turmoil, instability - terms that have unfortunately become far too common in Bahrain in recent months - are often cited by many businesses and organisations as reasons to scale down or even move operations to locations considered more stable.
But one entrepreneur who differs from the rest and does not believe in closing shop when the going gets tough is charismatic Jordanian/American businessman Zeid Zu'bi.
He said: "The past few weeks have certainly been a period of concern for all of us in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Initially, the fear factor made it compulsory for some investors and businessmen to consider a relocation plan. Yet despite many challenges, we kept the business centre open and are back to 'business as usual' as we regained access to our facilities at Bahrain Financial Harbour.
"We are definitely optimistic about the future in Bahrain. As businessmen, we have no choice but to contribute to its stability and future growth. Bahrain has been good to us and the time has come for us to return the favour. Today, the country needs the support of the business community more than ever before."
The 50-year-old founded H3Sixty, a business incubating centre in the heart of downtown Manama on the 11th floor of the iconic BFH building in 2009, at the height of the economic downturn.
Foreseeing a need for the educated and entrepreneurial Bahraini young business executive to function out of a reputed office address at affordable rates, Mr Zu'bi ventured into this new family business.
The aim was simply to offer enterprises classy settings to run their operations in the kingdom.
Managing director Mr Zu'bi said his 'ready-to-use' offices are specially suited for start-up ventures, consultants and visiting businessmen who want to make minimum capital investments and start functioning without delays. He added: "The younger generation today are among the entrepreneurs, businessmen and CEOs in the kingdom. This setup is ideal and is in an excellent location to provide inspiration to both new and established businesses.
"People can walk in with a suitcase and a laptop and start an office base in a short span of time. Businessmen can begin operating with a CR (Commercial Registration), an independent address and enjoy the service of dedicated phone lines.
"We also have a revival suite with bed and shower and nap technology that gives 20 to 60 second calming music for someone who wants to get refreshed before moving into a series of meetings.
"If they start small they can expand as they establish their businesses as our offices have modular walls. I can redesign and refit 100 square metres in four hours and that includes the wiring, walls and furniture. So you get the flexibility without doing any drilling, breaking or painting."
H3Sixty offers 60 offices of different sizes and differing services for an average cost that can be as low as BD275 and can go up to BD1,200 a month. The facility is said to currently enjoy an occupancy rate of around 74 per cent.
The facility's conference and training rooms are tastefully furnished and fitted with the fancy lights, colours of which can be changed according to the mood and brand of the company. Bluetooth technology and wireless laptop connectivity, video conferencing and projection are all provided.
The office spaces are designed to suit different business needs and are complimented with different amenities that range between tea and coffee service, dedicated parking facilities, additional points for Gulf Air frequent fliers and access to the elite business leaders' Capital Club.
Mr Zu'bi said: "Literally, if you come and say I want to start my office now, I can help you get started in five minutes.
"It is 'plug and play' when you come here. You will have your company name on the phone and will be instantly connected to the internet. We offer 400 telephone lines and a client can reserve a batch of numbers that is chargeable. We use voice over IP whose rates are much cheaper than the land line.
"That gives me a competitive edge because if a businessman comes to me to say that they need five offices with private entrance I can give it to them right away.
"There is a demand for virtual offices by businessmen who are from nearby countries like Qatar who want a desk, IT and privacy and don't want to operate out of a Costa Coffee or Starbucks outlet.
"We have the credit card concept and a client can choose between platinum, gold, bronze and silver packages and enjoy different benefits."
However, Mr Zu'bi recalls the initial days when an economic gloom had enveloped the market and his dream of expansion was shattered. "It was scary. The partners had invested BD900,000 in the whole project and we had to change our business model overnight," he said.
"Companies had begun downsizing - even large US companies were cutting back. We had to re-evaluate our pricing and the company board decided that we would work on achieving a break-even and operate to establish a brand.
"The next step was to think 'out of the box' and be creative and add value for the customer and help them increase their revenue."
Now, having survived the global economic downtown and the recent unrest it appears that Bahrain is back in business and Mr Zu'bi 's dream of expanding his vision across the Gulf may soon turn into reality.
