“Whether you’re with Deco, OrderMyGear, or anyone else, if you want to grow, you’ll always end up with InkSoft.”

– Robert Ewald, Fresh Horizons Group

In 2021, Fresh Horizons Group’s Robert Ewald sat down with InkSoft to share how his team used tools like online stores to grow his decorated apparel shop. At that time, Robert and his team focused on printing T-shirts and promotional products while building Fresh Horizons’ local reputation. 

Since then, the company has grown significantly and evolved into a one-stop shop for several services.

Evolving Beyond Apparel

“We have evolved from being a t-shirt and promo shop to a full-service marketing agency.”

Printed apparel is still a significant focus for Fresh Horizons, but Robert explained that the company now has three other arms of business, including the following: 

  • FH Promo for promotional products
  • Fresh Horizons Marketing for digital services
  • Fresh Local Deals a local business directory designed to generate leads for community businesses

With the expansion into digital marketing and email campaigns, the business has also grown its customer base nationwide, from medical systems providers and manufacturers to boutique salons and large churches. 

That significant growth can also be attributed to Robert’s entrepreneurial spirit, which has seen him involved in every type of work, from landscaping to a coffee company, also known as Fresh Horizons. 

In 2019, a local nonprofit he’d raised money for asked if he could organize a T-shirt fundraiser instead of a coffee fundraiser. He didn’t have a T-shirt company like he had a coffee company, but despite that minor detail, he agreed.

With that single job, Robert became part of the decorated apparel industry.

Searching for Business and Production Management Software

As the business grew and needed order and production management software to handle decorated apparel, Robert decided to implement DecoNetwork for its features and setup process. He knew that choosing the right systems in the early stages would help his new T-shirt business later. Plus, investing in the right software was tied to his philosophy of the power of investing in one’s own success.

Initially, DecoNetwork helped the business grow. Robert’s team noticed that while processes were labor-intensive, the platform had a comprehensive offering of features and capabilities. Eventually, he had six online stores up and running through DecoNetwork.

However, producing online stores was time-consuming, and it took his team months of collaboration with DecoNetwork’s support team, plus thousands of dollars on top of the monthly fees. 

After two years, Robert decided to reassess Fresh Horizon’s tech stack and order management system. 

The InkSoft Advantage

Robert was determined to find the best solution for Fresh Horizons, even as the still-new company worked with a small budget and carefully watched their overhead. Much like his previous businesses, Robert says implementing the right technology was part of his hedging on his company’s future success.

He ultimately signed up with InkSoft and, within a week, had already built six stores, the same number of stores that had taken him months with DecoNetwork. Robert built website banners, managed integrations (like Stripe and UPS), and designed logos without extensive labor hours or outside help.

He says the ease of use and intuitive functionality for customization were two significant facets that made the jump to InkSoft ideal for his team. From the Online Stores to the Sales Presentations, the company had the needed resources to scale. 

The business was firing on all cylinders with a 3,500-square-foot warehouse and roughly $100K worth of equipment.

Building a Reputation with Online Stores 

As Fresh Horizons continued to grow, apparel and branded merchandise have remained at the company’s core, and InkSoft is central to that growth.

Robert says that the biggest impact has come from InkSoft’s online stores and quoting tools.

  • Fundraising & Team Stores: Fresh Horizons has launched 300–400 stores to date, with around 40 active at any given time. 

Stores are packaged with complete marketing systems, including custom domains, thank-you messaging, and social media support. Robert says clients get top-notch apparel and a strategic way to promote their campaigns successfully.

  • Speed to Lead: With InkSoft proposals, Fresh Horizons can swiftly and easily respond to requests, obtaining new customers or retaining existing ones. 

“Closing a deal in 10 minutes instead of hours is huge,” Robert says. He adds that having products at their fingertips through supplier feeds makes that possible.

  • Confidence at Scale: InkSoft gave Fresh Horizons the confidence to pursue larger clients, including two major healthcare systems.

    “We could have cobbled together a store before, but InkSoft allowed us to walk into that boardroom and confidently say, ‘We can handle this,’” Robert emphasizes.

By the Numbers

Since adding InkSoft in 2021, Fresh Horizons has seen year-over-year growth in several areas: 

  • 30%+ annual growth on the apparel and promotional side
  • 50%+ growth during peak post-COVID years
  • Digital services are doubling annually, now matching apparel in revenue contribution.

The company has also implemented a hybrid workforce to help keep up with volume and scope. With production in Boone, Iowa, and design/marketing teams working remotely around the globe, Fresh Horizons has built the agility to serve customers quickly and at scale.

Investing in Technology for Success

Robert says for shops still considering implementing a solution like InkSoft, technology is not optional; it’s essential to stay competitive. 

“InkSoft is critical for us because you cannot scale a business using solely spreadsheets and phone calls,” he says. “If you’re not using the latest technology, you’ll get left behind.”

What’s Next at Fresh Horizons

Looking ahead, Robert and his team at Fresh Horizons are refocusing on the decorated apparel niche and applying their digital marketing expertise to help businesses and organizations maximize fundraising and branding opportunities.

“We’re excited about helping more shops grow through the same tools that helped us scale,” he notes. 

Hear More from Robert Ewald Live

If you want to learn more about growing your business with InkSoft, like Fresh Horizons, join Robert and InkSoft’s Director of Product Education, Craig Mertens, for a webinar on November 14th as part of the InkSoft Academy series. 

Hosts will share deeper insights into how Fresh Horizons has scaled with technology, built customer loyalty, and combined print with digital marketing. And you’ll learn how to use tools like InkSoft Stores to grow your business. 

Stay tuned for registration details. This is one you won’t want to miss!

InkSoft’s platform solutions give you a clear, results-driven way to invest in your success. Today and down the road. If you’re ready to start seeing what our Online Stores and Quotes and Invoices systems can do for you, book a demo today.