How we've helped GoldBird Hair Design

With a strong ethos on building their team from within, as well as using products not only good for your hair but also for the environment, GoldBird Hair are salons with a difference.

As the only Cornish hair salon using Aveda products, a company that uses flower and plant essences as well as zero chemicals and no artificial colours, GoldBird is putting the planet alongside their future prosperity.

Robert Innis, who runs GoldBird with his wife Joanne, comes from a background about as far away from haircare as you will find. However, his carpentry experience came in incredibly handy during the first lockdown period, as GoldBird used the time to renovate their flagship salon in Truro as well as a newly acquired property in Wadebridge.

Fast forward 15 months and GoldBird now has two salons, with the coming months set to be even busier as we emerge from COVID restrictions and the school holiday period.

“March 2020 to March 2021 were very tough, with us being open for only five months across this period. But having taken on the salon in Wadebridge we’ve got happy staff, and happy clients with bookings up substantially,” Rob said.

Working with both the Growth and Skills Hub to make his business better, Rob and GoldBird are a business passionate about empowering their team.

“We are a service-based industry, so we can’t just get people and give them a job to do. Staff need to be highly-trained by us, and they need to be incentivised to stay with us, paying them the best rates that we can afford and that is what we look to do,” he said.

Working to improve the team’s digital skills, marketing know-how and GoldBird’s online presence, Rob has his eyes set on a big future for the business. Increasing their online sales will be the next step, and looking for product lines that might not be readily available on the high street and selling these via their website.

The assistance from the Growth and Skills Hub has played a significant part in boosting that confidence, and Rob is excited about what the future holds.

“I couldn’t recommend the Growth and Skills Hub more highly; it has been marvellous. I’ve done courses in image editing, a general business course, and I’m finishing a media marketing course this week. It has all been excellent,” he said.

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub from May 2016 -  June 2023 was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.  The project received £2,848,591.49 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. 

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub from October 2017 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Social Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project  received £2,885,993 of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.