So it’s not often we get that feeling is it, that feeling of something special.

It’s exactly 7 years since I established Aptus. Although I was living in Exeter UK at the time, I had intended building a recruitment business in Melbourne, Australia, before exploring the UK market. I began working from the comfort of my ex-mother-in-law’s recliner at the time, working through the night in Exeter in order to be able to call clients and candidates in Melbourne.

It was an exciting time ahead; who knew where it would take me or what the future of Aptus would be. What I did know was that I would never be content being just another recruiter; I wanted to add value to my clients and genuinely provide great career options to everyone I would work with.

After a few months of working nights in Exeter, I arrived in Melbourne in March where we occupied a factory floor above my friend’s shop in a suburb called Heidelberg. It was shortly after this that a freak storm hit Melbourne and in one fell swoop the roof of the building took off! This story you may remember from my previous blog “MURPHY’S LAW: DEAD OR ALIVE, I WILL SUCCEED!”

Although the result of this storm was nothing that a blood transfusion, a lot of stitches and a few days rest couldn’t fix, we did however acquire another office, this one in Collins Street, Melbourne CBD, and yes it had a secure roof.

After the best part of 3 years, I went back to Exeter to establish Aptus recruitment in the UK and 4 years later we are doing better than ever, which is not surprising considering the initiatives we have in place.

This brings me back to that feeling. It was approximately September last year when we came up with an idea; an idea for a guide; a guide we can publish which helps candidates understand how great the south west of England really is as a tech hub, a region full of digital and creative businesses just screaming out for local talent.

Over the past few months this project which we named the Aptus Guide has taken a great amount of work to create, yet I could never have imagined how big this would become. It was in December when I truly started to get that feeling that something special was to come of this.

So, after building some fantastic relationships and collaborating with key employers, the most influential tech groups, and other leaders in the sectors, we’ve pieced together the Aptus Guide: the most apt guide for digital and creative employers in the South West of England.

As the first of its kind in the region, the Aptus Guide includes:

• Results of our survey conducted between December 2016 and January 2017, providing information on salary expectations, progression opportunities and company profiles.
• Behind-the-scenes with a select number of Featured Employers across the region.
• closer look at Devon, Somerset and Cornwall, including their respective infrastructure and the local meetups (ideal for those relocating into the area)
• Interviews with local experts that have built successful careers in the South West.
• Now, if you’re in a major city, the common perception is that the only attraction of the West Country is a lifestyle choice. The aim of this guide is to prove this wrong.

Yes, Devon, Somerset and Cornwall are great destinations for a brilliant lifestyle; nevertheless there is also so much more on offer.

The key benefit that the Aptus Guide will demonstrate is that there are genuine career opportunities right here in our own backyard, but also other advantages, such as improving infrastructure, cost of living, and education.

I am very proud of Aptus and the publication of our first Aptus Guide which is free to download for digital and creative people. The next step is to create the Guide for our other business units, with Accounting & Finance most likely being the next.

Bravo to the Exeter office for this fantastic initiative, which not only truly adds value to our industry, to what we do for our clients and for the people of the west country, it is also a true representation of our brand. Aptus not only matches talented people with successful employers but we aim to promote the sectors we believe in.