Hey there.

I’m Jesse, founder of Third Act, a new company dedicated to helping small business owners. 

I grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley, and like the best businesses that put down roots in their community, I’ve found it hard to leave ever since.

When I was a kid, I loved hiking with my family, coming off busy trails to eat at a local restaurant on a bustling main street that seemed even busier than the trails did. I was always kind of amazed that everything just seemed to work as it should.

Many years later in 2023, I still love to hike in the Valley — I just see it differently when I come off the trail. More specifically, I have a greater appreciation for the people and businesses that make it special. My wife and I opened a short-term rental property business last year — our property is humming along now, but it was a challenge to find reliable and quality help for specialized essential services like plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, etc. during the renovation.

For small service businesses like the ones I was looking for, there are plenty of issues that Angie’s List or NextDoor aren’t solving, and businesses are leaving money on the table as a result. With over a decade leading revenue teams at global advertising and marketing agencies, I know with clear perspective that growth is not a given.

These same small businesses I couldn’t get a hold of, probably couldn’t find me either. If they got back to me, maybe it took them so long because they didn’t have a good system in place to handle inbound Angie’s List leads vs. other leads. Or maybe they couldn’t manage the increased demand. I put myself in their shoes and realized the trends I was observing in the abstract about the decline in availability of skilled tradespeople, were not at all abstract for these owners. They wrestle with these challenges every day — and then still have to find time to actually grow their business!

So many small business owners, especially service businesses, face these struggles.

As I watch businesses I’ve driven past for years start to show their age, I’m paying more attention. What’s their parking lot traffic like, how are they getting customers, how could they do more business online, who owns the business this year, and who might next year?

Why do small business owners keep going, and more importantly, how can Third Act help them continue building value?

To name a few specific ways, Third Act has the clear perspective and operational know-how to help older business owners: 

• Work more efficiently to save time and money 

• Find and retain more customers

• Prepare for an ownership transition, if they’re ready

Moving forwards, we’ll aim to share helpful resources, best practices, and maybe a few stories and trends from the community to spark new thinking and keep small businesses thriving, in the Hudson Valley and beyond.