Slashing Software Overheads with Kiri & Will | Shirt Show

Dylan sits down with Kiri and Will from InkIQ to tackle a frustration felt across the screen printing industry: bloated software costs. For years, independent apparel decorators have paid hefty monthly subscriptions for massive shop management platforms while only utilizing five or six basic tools. Kiri, a nine-year print shop veteran, teamed up with Will, a private equity software specialist, to flip that model on its head.

The conversation dives into InkIQ's game-changing announcement to make core shop management free, how intelligent AI agents monitor customer lifecycles to trigger repeat orders, automated blank procurement across major distributors, and how shops can build modular tools tailored directly to their personalities.

DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL AND SELLING SHIRTS OUT OF A SUITCASE

Every print shop founder has a defining origin story, and Kiri's started with sheer hustle. Dropping out of school at 19 in Montreal, Canada, he began knocking on doors in industrial parks with a suitcase packed full of garment samples and embroidery swatches. Acting as a promotional product distributor, he stashed cash earnings in a shoebox at his grandmother's house until his mother demanded he rent a brick-and-mortar space to legitimize the operation.

Operating in-house production for nine years taught Kiri the gritty realities of production deadlines, late-night rush runs during COVID-19, and the administrative drag of manual data entry. That firsthand exhaustion eventually inspired the foundation of InkIQ: building software driven by operational efficiency so owners can stop acting like data-entry robots.

THE AGENTIC ERP MODEL AND FREE CORE SHOP MANAGEMENT

Rather than charging small garages and expanding automatic shops the exact same premium monthly fee, InkIQ is disrupting the market by releasing its core shop management system completely free for shops doing under two million dollars in revenue. Invoicing, production scheduling, client databases, and baseline accounting tools carry no monthly software fee, only standard transaction processing costs.

Instead of forcing you into rigid feature tiers, InkIQ uses a pay-as-you-go credit structure for embedded AI agents. You only pay when you choose to run automated tasks like client inbox drafting, visual mockup creation, or autonomous outreach. Every user receives one hundred dollars in signup credits followed by daily usage allowances, keeping operating overhead virtually non-existent for growing printers.

UNLOCKING REVENUE WITH OPPORTUNITIES AND PROACTIVE SALES

Most print shops lose thousands of dollars each year simply because they forget to follow up with clients before annual events. InkIQ tackles this with its Opportunities engine, a proactive monitoring system that Dylan affectionately nicknames the "digital stalker." The platform tracks past buying cycles and external business milestones to tee up ready-to-send merchandise proposals.

• Historic Cycle Tracking: The system identifies regular buying windows, automatically alerting you thirty days before an annual festival or seasonal corporate order so you never reach out too late.
• Expansion Monitoring: When client accounts announce new locations, rebrands, or grand openings, InkIQ catches the signal and drafts a contextual sales proposal.
• Autonomous Sequences: Shop operators can keep proposals in a hybrid queue for one-click morning approval or allow the engine to fire multi-step follow-ups autonomously.
• Smart Upsell Logic: When quoting standard t-shirts, the engine analyzes buyer demographics to suggest relevant add-ons, like custom tumblers, towels, or headwear, lifting average order sizes by up to twenty percent.

AUTOMATED PROCUREMENT AND LIVE SUPPLIER FEEDS

Juggling twenty browser tabs across multiple distributors just to source blank shirts is an everyday headache. InkIQ integrates live catalogs and inventory from over five hundred suppliers, including S&S Activewear and SanMar. When you build a quote, live pricing and stock levels populate instantly, flagging out-of-stock sizes before you send numbers to your customer.

Once an order receives approval and payment, you can trigger blank orders directly through distributor APIs with a single click. If your primary warehouse runs out of stock on a specific garment, you can seamlessly redirect line items to alternative warehouses or pre-approved secondary suppliers without rebuilding your work ticket from scratch.

BALANCING AI EFFICIENCY WITH AUTHENTIC HUMAN CONNECTION

While cutting-edge automations eliminate repetitive chores, Dylan and the InkIQ founders agree that the screen printing industry thrives on real human relationships. Relying solely on cold, instantaneous computer replies can alienate customers who want personal guidance on ink textures, garment fit, and press capabilities.

InkIQ incorporates customizable response delays so outgoing communications feel natural, professional, and thoughtful. By offloading tedious data entry, bank reconciliation, and tracking lookups to background agents, shop owners buy back hours in their day to walk the press floor, host client visits, and focus on the craft that brought them into the industry.