Trelus

Trelus works with owners to help them achieve exits that are worthy of the businesses they’ve built. They asked us to turn their business model into a digital product — so owners could take a DIY, step-by-step approach to reaching their exit goals.

A man in a green polo shirt and glasses standing in a factory.

The key insight

75% of business owners report being profoundly disappointed a year after exiting their business. This makes for a one-sided marketplace that leaves them full of regret. To prove that Trelus can help owners avoid being a part of that 75%, we had to establish trust and deliver value at every turn.

The bold strategy

We created the first Exit Navigation PlatformTM — a personalized, easy-to-follow roadmap based on each owner’s exit goals — and, most importantly, based on hundreds of real exits. It’s easier to feel confident in a process when every recommended action and resource is rooted in similar owners’ experiences.

Built by business owners

We interviewed business owners to determine the type of product we wanted to build — and then we tested our designs with those same individuals. It helped us validate that we were creating something that would give them more confidence in their own exit journeys.

A man in a blue suit jacket standing in an office
An introductory screen details the reasons why Trelus is useful — It's easy to follow, comprehensive, and based on hundreds of tests
An FAQ screen shows common questions, presenting them in an easy to follow accordion format.
A woman in blue overalls standing in an open-plan office

“Boldium exceeded my expectations. They were an invaluable partner from the ground-up idea phase through the product design.”

— Martin M. Myers , Co-Founder and CEO, Trelus

Big picture, small steps

Each owner’s exit roadmap captured the full journey and gave them a bird’s eye view. But we didn’t overwhelm them with every detail all at once. We helped owners answer questions and complete tasks within a specific section before they could move on. We also showed their progress to keep the momentum going.

A screenshot explaining how Trelus works using these three steps: Registering, Getting a tailored Roadmap, and Taking it one step at a time

Advisors you can trust

Within the product, Trelus connects owners with advisors they can trust along each step of the journey. Each advisor is vetted to ensure that they have owners’ best interests in mind. Owners can access advisor profiles to do some vetting of their own. It’s about prioritizing relationships over transactions.

Card-style UI elements display different advisors and their specialties within Trelus, with clear buttons allowing access to full profile information

Establishing a verbal identity

In addition to working on the product, we helped Trelus establish their brand purpose, promise, positioning, and principles — as well as a messaging platform. It helped them clarify exactly what they do, why they do it, and how they can best communicate with business owners who need help.

Branding

  • Brand strategy
  • Messaging platform

Strategy

  • Strategy pillars
  • Product-market fit analysis

Design

  • Creative Direction
  • Website UI/UX
  • Product UI/UX

Research

  • Usability testing
  • Qualitative interviews

Content

  • Website content strategy
  • Website copywriting

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It’s time for deeper, more sustainable success

Leaders come to us to make a bold change in their organization. One where success helps create a more compassionate, equitable and sustainable world. We can’t wait to create change, together.