We get asked lots of questions about hiring mobile bars, including how many bars we do each week, how many customers we speak to over the course of a month and of course, how our Director, Mat, finds time to set up and oversee every single bar that Neptune puts on.
We recently wrote a blog that featured the Neptune Bar Hire Co.’s most frequently asked questions, but we thought it might be fun to shadow Mat for a day to see what he actually does with his time. We think you might be surprised by how much he manages to fit in (we certainly were!).
What does Mat actually do?
05:30: A typical day for Mat will mean getting up, getting dressed and heading straight out of the door to visit his personal trainer over in Whitstable. Mat’s been training with Dean, the owner of Team Beaver Strength and Conditioning, for over two years. We have actually accompanied him to one of his training sessions and after the first ten minutes, we had to have a sit-down! Mat works really hard on his fitness and his time in the gym includes boxing training and strength work.
Note - A typical day could also involve an early start so that Mat can attend a breakfast networking session. A member of the Canterbury Business Over Breakfast (BoB) group, Mat also visits lots of other BoB groups; if ever you need to get anything done, just ask Mat - he’s so well connected locally that he can usually recommend a business for literally anything that you might need!
07:00: Mat arrives home to shower and eat breakfast (usually porridge, although we keep telling him he drinks too much coffee to go with it). He’ll spend some time at his desk afterwards, checking emails and making a to-do list for the day.
07:30: Once a week Mat will drive up to Marden to see his Dad, Roger, who owns Golden Hill Nurseries. Mat occasionally does some deliveries for Roger if there is a lot going on at the nursery, but typically, he will look in for a cuppa and catch-up.
10:00: A drive into Canterbury, or a surrounding town for a client meeting or networking 1:1; Mat’s quite conscious about fuel usage and the environment, therefore he will try to group his meetings around the same place for the day.
12:30: Time for lunch (contrary to popular belief, lunch is not just for wimps! Mat does love a sneak coffee and cake stop, too), usually either eaten on the go or before or after travelling to his next meeting.
13:00: Another client meeting, usually at the proposed event venue. Again, this will usually be in the vicinity of the day’s chosen location.
14:50: Mat will head back to his desk (more coffee!) at home to book client appointments, answer emails, catch up on his accounting and work on building his empire; Mat owns several other businesses alongside Neptune Bar Hire, so he’s constantly on the go!
16:00: This is usually the time to conduct video calls with new suppliers for the bars.
17:00: Time for dinner!
17:45: Have we ever mentioned that Mat is obsessive about keeping his house spick and span? He’ll have made sure he has washed and dried every last teaspoon before he does anything else!
18:30: On days when Mat is not setting and up and running an event bar, or heading over to Farthingloe Barn to supervise the in-house event bar there, he will have a chilled night at home with his family. Although he will usually answer calls and emails from prospective clients, or catch up if he is behind, downtime is very important to him, as it should be for anyone who runs a business.
22:00: Bedtime in the Butler household … to get up at 05:30 the next day and do it all again!
Although Mat has a busy life, with many businesses to run and family to spend time with, he is always there for his customers and clients. That’s just the way he is.