Troop
How might we
Help small business owners simplify their daily lives and make better decisions?
In the midst of the current dazzling strive for deeper meaning and fulfillment, an increasing number of individuals decide to take on the journey of independency. As a result, a variety of new services have emerged, all aimed at helping freelancers and entrepreneurs succeed in their endeavors. Small scale insurance subscriptions, all types of co-working spaces, specialized retirement funds and loan providers, neo banks, accounting apps, you name them... Despite all that, small business owners - both newbies and seniors - still seem to ask the same questions, face the same issues and need the same level of (human) support.
The insight
What type of company should I create? Which insurance should I choose? Am I overselling or underselling my services and products? How can I be more productive? Which bank/accountant should I choose? How do I maximize my chances of getting a loan from the bank? And nowadays, the problem doesn't seem to be the lack of information or services, but rather the overflow of them. One can feel disoriented and confused about what to choose for their specific situation and who to trust. This is how Troop was born. Created by and for independent workers, Troop is the trusted advisor who analyzes your situation and points you in the right direction.
The research
We spent a month collecting the questions that the independent workers of our different networks asked on social media. We then spent hours discussing those needs with them in a variety of different ways (from extended phone calls, to focus groups and workshops). This enabled us to build a comprehensive empathy map, sort the needs by category and prioritize them. The conclusions we drew from the research led us to the sketch of a simulator meant to recommend the best administrative setup and financial services to consider. The user would answer a couple of questions, the simulator would calculate the best options given the user's specific situation and would give targeted recommendations accordingly.
The solution
We mapped out the user flows and wireframes and tested the idea with 10 small business owners to collect their opinions and critics. Hourray! The idea was well received and the proof of concept phase was kickstarted. With the help of a former client who is an a senior accountant who specializes in small business owners, we drafted the proof of concept in one month from a remote island in Thaïland. After 27 days of hard work under the palm trees, we built our little algorithm and plugged it to the online form, as well as to our low fidelity app. Using the simplified design system we created for the app, designed the landing page, integrated it on Webflow... Et voilà ! We are now live.
