A New Chapter: My First Real Experience as a Business Owner
Monday, September 7, 2026
Today, I want to share something personal about how I feel, how my mind works, and what this new chapter means to me.
Last week, I completed important applications and paperwork for my business. Finally, I had my first real experience going through the process of officially starting my own LLC.
I also had my first experience handling business tax registration and permits. 🪪
It made me emotional.
I had never experienced this side of owning a real business before. Filling out official paperwork, learning about taxes and permits, setting up my LLC, and understanding my responsibilities as a business owner made everything feel much more real.
I know I am still a rookie when it comes to owning and operating a mobile dog grooming business. This is new territory for me.
But I am extremely excited because this has been one of my biggest goals for the past two years. 🚐🐾
My Journey Didn’t Start With the Mobile Van
Before becoming a mobile grooming business owner, I had to build my experience step by step.
I am a Certified Dog Groomer and graduated from the New York Academy of Pet Styling in New York City in September 2025 after completing its 10-week Professional Dog Grooming Program.
During my professional training, I received hands-on experience with bathing, drying, brushing, de-shedding, de-matting, nail trimming, ear cleaning, clipper work, scissoring, breed-specific grooming techniques, coat care, pet safety, and handling dogs of different sizes and temperaments.
Before attending grooming school, I also completed a six-week internship at Hairy Barker Inn & Spa in Darien, Connecticut, in 2024.
That experience gave me an important foundation in dog bathing, drying, brushing, nail care, coat maintenance, safe handling, sanitation, and general grooming salon responsibilities.
Most recently, I worked in dog grooming from December 2025 through August 2026, primarily as a dog bather and grooming assistant.
My responsibilities included bathing and drying dogs, preparing coats for grooming, assisting with grooming procedures, helping with safe handling, and keeping the grooming environment clean and sanitary.
Every one of these experiences helped prepare me for where I am today.
My grooming certification, education, internship, and work experience have all become important pieces of the foundation for my own business.
Being Deaf Is Part of My Journey
I am Deaf, and I communicate effectively through written communication and other accessible communication methods.
Throughout my grooming education and professional experience, I have learned how to adapt, communicate with a team, solve problems, and remain focused on providing safe and professional care for dogs.
My journey has taught me to be patient.
It has taught me to pay attention.
It has taught me to keep learning.
I consider myself hardworking, dependable, patient, and willing to improve. I also understand that there is always something new to learn in dog grooming and in business.
Now Comes a Completely New Experience 🚐
Now I am entering another new chapter:
Becoming a mobile grooming van owner and running my own business.
This is completely different from working inside someone else’s grooming environment.
Now I have to learn how to operate my van, manage appointments, communicate with customers, handle payments, understand taxes, maintain equipment, manage supplies, plan routes, solve unexpected problems, and provide professional grooming services at the same time.
That’s a lot to learn.
I also understand that because this is my first time operating my own mobile grooming business, I may make mistakes.
I don’t expect myself to know everything immediately.
What matters to me is what I do after a mistake:
Learn. Understand. Fix the problem. Improve. Keep moving forward.
That is how my mind works.
When I don’t understand something, I ask questions.
When I find a problem, I look for a solution.
I use common sense, research, experience, and guidance to help me understand new situations.
I also use ChatGPT regularly to help guide me through unfamiliar steps, organize my thoughts, understand business questions, and learn more quickly.
For years, I have watched YouTube videos from mobile groomers and other grooming professionals explaining their vans, equipment, routines, techniques, challenges, and real-world experiences.
I have been studying this journey before I even had my own van.
Now I finally get to experience it myself. 🚐
I Know the Beginning Will Not Be Perfect
I know there may be difficult days.
There may be equipment problems.
There may be scheduling problems.
There may be unexpected situations.
There may be customers who decide I am not the right groomer for them.
There may be things that take longer than I expected.
And there will probably be moments when I have to stop and figure something out.
That’s part of learning.
Experience doesn’t happen overnight.
Experience comes from actually doing the work.
My goal is to keep learning quickly, solving problems, improving my grooming skills, and becoming a stronger business owner.
I will keep trying to find new customers and build relationships with loyal customers who trust me with their dogs.
I am not giving up.
My goals are still coming.
This Is Only the Beginning
My first priority is building a strong foundation for Marco’s Paws Mobile Grooming in Connecticut.
I want to grow responsibly.
I need to stay within a budget I can afford, gain more experience, build relationships with customers, and create a loyal customer base.
Once the business is ready financially and operationally, I have bigger goals.
One of those goals is eventually expanding my mobile grooming service into Upstate New York and Western Massachusetts.
But I understand that expansion needs to happen at the right time.
Connecticut comes first.
Then, as the business grows, I would love to add a second mobile grooming van.
Maybe someday a third.
And perhaps even more in the future. 🚐🚐🚐
With additional vans would come another major goal:
Building my own grooming team.
I would like to eventually hire additional groomers, bathers, assistants, and other team members who can help the business serve more customers.
I have also thought about eventually opening my own physical dog grooming salon.
And one day, I would like to have my own separate business office where I can manage scheduling, customers, employees, finances, marketing, and the other responsibilities that come with growing a company.
Those are big goals.
I don’t expect them to happen immediately.
They may take years.
They will require money, planning, patience, experience, good decisions, and a lot of hard work.
But having those goals gives me motivation.
It gives me something to work toward.
It keeps my mind active.
It keeps me busy.
And most importantly, it keeps me moving forward.
Two Years of Working Toward This 🐾
When I think about where I was two years ago compared with where I am today, it means a lot to me.
I didn’t simply wake up one morning and become a business owner.
There were many steps along the way.
There was an internship.
There was professional grooming school.
There was certification.
There was hands-on work experience.
There were mistakes.
There were questions.
There were challenges.
There was research.
There was paperwork.
There was planning.
And there was a lot of learning.
Every step taught me something.
Now I am beginning another important step:
Marco’s Paws Mobile Grooming
This is my opportunity to take everything I have learned and begin building something of my own.
Thank You to Everyone Who Has Supported Me
I have so much appreciation for the people who have supported me throughout this journey.
Thank you to my family for standing beside me.
Thank you especially to my wife for supporting me, encouraging me, and standing beside me while I work toward my goals.
And thank you to God for being with me throughout my journey and giving me the strength, opportunities, and motivation to continue moving forward.
I am also deeply thankful for the opportunities I have received while living in the United States.
Thank you, USA, for giving me opportunities to work toward a bigger future for myself, my family, and my business.
There is still a long road ahead.
There are still many things I need to learn.
There are still challenges I haven’t experienced yet.
And there are still many goals I want to accomplish.
But I am excited to see where this journey takes me.
I will keep learning.
I will keep improving.
I will keep solving problems.
I will keep working.
I will keep building.
And I will keep moving toward my goals.
This isn’t the end of my journey.
It’s the beginning of a new chapter.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me.
It truly means a lot to me.
Much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Marco Sotelo
Certified Dog Groomer
Marco’s Paws Mobile Grooming
