Today we’d like to introduce you to Val Woldman
Hi Val, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been a full-time teacher since 1994, for the past 18 years at Valencia College in Winter Park where I teach humanities. While this has been my primary job for my whole adult life, I have always dreamed of opening my own business. During the pandemic while our school was closed for 18 months and I was stuck at home, I started a small vacation rental business managing beach condos owned by a family member. This experience gave me my first taste of what it takes to start and operate a small business.
In 2023, my family moved to an old house in Sanford and bought a golf cart so we could easily cart up to the historic district. We love our new home and being part of the Sanford community. Everyone always talks about how cute the downtown area is (and it is!) but I started to realize that there are lots of bars and restaurants but not a lot of shops. And there wasn’t a place to buy really great cheese. After exploring ideas for a specialty pet-gift shop, a high-end vintage clothing resale shop, a bike rental shop, and a vintage china shop. I settled on a fromagerie (fancy talk for cheese shop) and started brainstorming ideas with friends.
A few months later, I happened to find myself in a “learning day” session at work about “how to start a business.” As my Business Department colleagues presented, I took notes and made a checklist. I thought, “I could do this!” I started to look for space to rent downtown just by asking around. One inquiry let to another which led me to a space that would be available at the end of the month, and two days after my “learning day” session, I was negotiating a lease.
Reality set in, however, and with the responsibilities of a full-time job, I made the pragmatic decision to abandon my plan to lease a brick-and-mortar space. But I didn’t give up my planning. I already had an LLC set up and got approved to buy cheese wholesale. I kept researching and planning and spying on competitors in Lake Mary and Winter Park. During one of my recon missions I bought a jar of Meredith Dairy marinated sheep and goat cheese and shared it with some friends. We couldn’t stop eating, or talking about that cheese. Looking back, I blame that jar of cheese for reigniting my cheese shop plans.
My very business-savvy friend Kathy had suggested, after I abandoned my first cheese shop plan, that I start smaller and sell at a farmer’s market. “Nah,” I had replied dismissively. But once I compared the overhead of running a booth at a farmer’s market to running a cheese shop, I realized I didn’t have a lot to lose. Six months and lots of paperwork later, Sanford Cheese launched at the farmer’s market.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A big obstacle was start-up funding. I started with $0 in start-up funds. I used personal funds and gift cards for my start-up supplies and license fees (around $1000). For inventory, I used a personal rewards credit card for cheese purchases (as of December 2023 I have enough Delta SkyMiles for one round-trip ticket to Paris, halfway to my goal of two). My sales revenue goes immediately toward paying off the balance. My initial plan was to never carry a balance on the card, but a few hiccups have left me slightly in the red. The first hiccup was a gross overestimate of how much cheese supply I should have on hand each week. I also overestimated shelf life. It took a few months to figure out what I should order each week so I very nearly sell out. I’m now at the point where I have recouped my investment and I am breaking even.
Another obstacle was finding a commissary kitchen so I could get the proper business permits (I need a mobile food permit and a grocery resale permit). I had a lot of trouble finding one in downtown Sanford. Many of my inquiries were not answered. Since cheese is a temperature controlled food, The storage and prep places must be inspected. I finally found a spot just outside of Sanford.
A final obstacle was that I am a cheese novice. I really didn’t know much about cheese when I started except, “mmm, good!” One of my first customers asked if all of my cheeses were from grass-fed cows (yes) and another first day customer wanted to know if I carried any cheese made with raw milk (yes!) or vegetarian rennet (umm. . . . ?) It took awhile but I know so much more about the cheese making process now.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sanford Cheese?
Friends and family helped brainstorm names and the concept (these founders are now the trusted cheese tasters). At the start the working name was “the Fromage Sisters” because it made everyone laugh (we were not sisters), and we toyed with “Stinky Wheels” and “Kinds of Blue” before I decided to keep it simple and go with “Sanford Cheese.”
I sell specialty cheeses weekly at the Sanford Marketplace at Magnolia on Saturdays. I also sell at Central 28 Brewing in DeBary at their market (3rd Sundays noon-5). My best-seller is High Plains cheddar from Iowa. One taste and customers keep coming back for more. I try and keep my cheeses interesting and affordable (most are $8 for a 4 oz hunk) and I seek out family farms and heritage farms– stuff you can’t get in the grocery store.
I’m proud that my “grilled cheese sandwitch” costume won “most creative” and my holiday booth won one of the “best decorated” prizes!
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
My dad is a serial entrepreneur who always has a new business idea kicking around in his head. I think he inspired me to just go for it. At the moment, working at the Sanford Market is low-risk. If I decide to expand, I will have to consider taking on additional risks.
Right now my expansion ideas include a monthly cheese club, with online orders for pick up each month, cheese classes, beer and cheese and wine and cheese tastings, and custom charcuterie boards. I am considering renting space to do this and have been searching for an affordable storefront. I’m also looking into creating some sort of cooperative store with 2-3 other small business owners– a sort of indoor market. If you are reading this and are interested in starting a cooperative in downtown Sanford, let’s talk!
Pricing:
- $25/week market space
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sanfordcheese.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanfordcheese/
