<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2ELIbB_1H2dYZ4c00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ELIbB_1H2dYZ4c00" width="1247" height="1663" ><figcaption>Vanessa Molica poured $1 million of her own savings into developing an automated replacement for a salon’s front desk, called Emvari. (Courtesy of Vanessa Molica)</figcaption></figure>After 16 years in the beauty industry and operating three East Valley salons, Scottsdale entrepreneur Vanessa Molica decided she had waited long enough for someone to develop software that could eliminate the need for a traditional salon front desk.So she decided to build it herself.Molica, a lash artist, educator and salon owner, has invested nearly $1 million of her own money over the past 18 months developing Emvari.The software platform automates appointment scheduling, customer check-ins, payments and other administrative tasks.The company is preparing for a Nov. 15 beta launch, with a broader public rollout planned for 2027.Molica said the idea grew out of years of frustration with software that handled basic salon operations but still required considerable staff involvement and manual work.“I've been in the beauty industry for over 15 years as a lash artist, educator, and salon owner,” she said. “I know what it feels like to be the person behind the chair and the person responsible for everything that happens outside of it.”She said the scheduling and payment systems she used didn't provide the experience she wanted for either customers or business owners.Molica owns The Lash and Sugar Company, with salons in Scottsdale, Gilbert and Chandler.“The booking tools were clunky, the payment flow never felt like something I'd want to put in front of a client, and getting any real insight into my business performance meant doing a lot of manual work,” Molica said.“I got tired of waiting for someone to build what salons actually needed, so I decided to build it myself.”The central feature of Emvari is a self-service kiosk that allows customers to check in for appointments and complete payments without relying on an employee stationed at the front desk.Molica said the approach could reduce administrative demands and allow salon employees to concentrate on providing services.“Every system I looked at assumed you needed someone sitting there to check clients in, manage the flow of the day, and handle checkout,” she said.“That's a real cost in payroll, in time, and in the attention it pulls away from the actual client experience.”The system also is designed to handle tipping without requiring an employee to present the payment screen to a customer.Molica believes that could eliminate an uncomfortable interaction for both customers and service providers.“The tip prompt feels awkward, the payment process feels rushed, and too often it requires staff to be involved in a way that puts both the client and the provider in an uncomfortable spot,” she said.She contends that allowing customers to complete the transaction independently can also encourage better tipping, although she did not provide comparative data.Developing the platform required Molica to move beyond her experience operating salons and into the technology business.She partnered with a development team specializing in software-as-a-service platforms, which provide applications to customers through ongoing subscriptions.Rather than modifying an existing product, the team built Emvari from the ground up.Molica said the project has required a substantial financial commitment.“Emvari has been self-funded, and the investment has been close to a million dollars over the past year and a half,” she said.“That was a deliberate choice. Taking outside funding changes what you optimize for, and I wanted to make sure we were building for salon owners, not for investors.”The company is initially targeting independent salon operators, professionals renting individual salon suites and small businesses with two to five service providers.Molica said those businesses often face a difficult choice between software with limited capabilities and more complicated systems designed for larger operations.Emvari also is being developed for larger salons with multiple locations, although the company plans to concentrate on smaller operators during its initial rollout.For solo professionals participating in the beta program, the company plans to offer three months of complimentary software access once payment processing becomes available.Afterward, the introductory subscription rate will be $29 per month, which Molica said early customers can retain indefinitely. Standard payment-processing fees will still apply.Pricing for salons with multiple service providers will depend on their size and the features they require.The initial release is only the beginning, Molica said, with additional features planned for early 2027.The company intends to use feedback from participating salons to refine the software before making it more widely available.“The immediate focus is a strong beta launch and making sure the first salons that come on have a great experience,” Molica said. Beta testing begins Nov. 15 and Emvari goes live at Molica’s three salons Nov. 30.Her longer-term objective is to simplify salon operations so owners and employees can spend less time managing administrative work.“The throughline is the same: make the business side of running a salon simpler and more profitable, so the people doing this work can focus on what they're actually good at.”Information: emvari.com (salon owners can join the waitlist there) or hello@emvari.com.</div></body>

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After 16 years in the beauty industry and operating three East Valley salons, Scottsdale entrepreneur Vanessa Molica decided she had waited long enough for someone to develop software that could eliminate the need for a traditional salon front desk. So she decided to build it herself. Molica, a lash artist,...

Salon veteran invents front desk alternative

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After 16 years in the beauty industry and operating three East Valley salons, Scottsdale entrepreneur Vanessa Molica decided she had waited long enough for

Salon veteran invents front desk alternative

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