For owner Gail Reeser, Sew Much Fun is more than just a business; it is a way for her to connect with her family and community. Starting in October 1997 with offering school spirit yard flags as an alternative to metal ones, Sew Much Fun now works with high school dance teams across the state of Texas. Combining her business and artistic sides, Reeser has been able to provide embroidered products for decades to her customers.

How is your family involved with the business process?

I started the business 25 years ago and I would work out of my home here in Coppell. As things got bigger and busier, my husband, John, helped; he helps with the finance, bookkeeping and paperwork. Our oldest son, Chris, he’s a graphic designer so he helps with some of the design work, but he also does embroidery and printing as well. I taught our youngest daughter, Elizabeth, how to do the T-shirt quilt and showed her how to run the embroidery machine. She now lives in South Carolina, but she does quilts for us and ships them back. 

Why are you a home based company?

When I first started 25 years ago, my kids were still in Coppell schools. This allowed me to work part time and still manage my kids. When my granddaughter was young, I helped take care of her and ran her to different places. It allows me the flexibility so that if I need to take off a few days I can and if I need to work Sunday afternoon then I can work.

Did you have any prior business experience?

My parents had an engraving business of their own in New Jersey. They would do trophies, awards and plaques. They needed help and I helped because when you’re part of a family you have to help support them. I actually started working for my dad when I was 11 doing the engraving. It was all hand done. We had a little typeset, little letters that you would put into the engraving machine to type, and we had this little stylus you had to trace around that. Now of course, everything is automated. I worked for my parents for many years until I got into high school and then had a business job, but we still helped out because they would get so busy.

What is a unique memory you have with your business?

This is one that my husband always tells me you forget to tell people about this. In 2006, a parent from Town Center Elementary contacted me and said that a student at their school had an uncle who was an astronaut and was going up into the space shuttle. They needed a school flag made. I created the three by five regular size flag and they gave it to the student who then gave it to his uncle. When he brought it back and he came to the school, they had a little presentation and they invited me to come. 

What do you like about your business?

I like to be creative; when customers are telling me what they want, I create the whole design and I pick the colors. I love being able to come up with something when customers say they know what they want but they don’t know how to tell you. I put the whole thing together.

What advice would you give to a student wanting to start a business?

I would tell them to do their research and make sure they find out everything about whatever it is that they want to go into. It’s not just about making money, but to have a passion for what you want to do. I belong to a lot of Facebook groups, where people share and help each other and ask questions. That’s one other thing: ask questions. My dad always told me that if you don’t know something, ask.

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