'Foolish idea' which led to one of Liverpool's most successful businesses

A founding father of Liverpool's beauty scene is drawing near its 50th anniversary.

Voodou on Bold Street dominates the street with its striking punk aesthetic and towering fascia. The majority of us will have grown up with the hair salon in the city centre but its origins can be traced to a tiny unit in Walton Breck Road.

The very first Voodou opened its doors back in 1976 under the name of Robert Michael. The entrepreneur behind the store was neither a leading industry expert nor even someone with business experience, it was a fresh-faced graduate named Rob Webb who dreamed of owning his own salon.

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At the age of 18 and with only two years of hairdressing knowledge under his belt, Rob set out to make his dream a reality. He told the ECHO: "I borrowed £1,000 from my uncle. I told him what I planned to do and he wondered if he'd ever get the money back. He was great with me. I offered to pay interest but he wouldn't let me.

"I was never diagnosed with dyslexia but I never got on with school. I struggled quite a bit. So to go straight from school to starting a business was a foolish idea. It was the naivety of a young person to go and do what I did. I wouldn't recommend it but it worked out.

"£1000 didn't go a long way even back then. The shop opened in a poor state and I begged and borrowed everything for it. The state of the hair dryers and machines was a joke but I did what I had to do."

The business flourished despite its hard surroundings. Anfield may not be the garden you'd expect a salon to grow but Rob managed to open a second venue within a mere 18 months thanks to his determination to succeed. He said: "Everyone was so supportive. I learned so much just running the business day by day. I didn't know much at all if I'm honest but I just about managed."

Success would snowball and see Rob open a whopping six salons in eight years in surrounding areas. The team grew to include skilled stylists and technicians in their sister sites, a far cry from the first store Rob ran with the help of his 16-year-old niece.

He said: "It took a long time to get my head around the business stuff. Rent was £26 a week and I put money away for the gas and leccy. I knew how much was coming in and out to keep a roof over everyone's heads but I didn't really worry if it was successful. I was running the business because I loved it and didn't care as long as everything was fine. It's the naivety of youth to think everything is going to be great. Luckily it was or God knows where I'd have ended up!"

Rob discovered male hairdressers were sought after far more than their female counterparts in the industry. It was a rising trend with all the most prominent names belonging to men which reflected in the title of their salons. The Voodou we know today initially began life as 'Robert Michael' before shedding its skin and adopting the name 'Exit'.

Rob said: "The name change was down to fashion. Robert Michael was dated and I felt it wasn't about just me anymore - it was about the team. I needed the name to reflect that so along came Exit which soon enough changed again to Voodou."

In 1995, Rob opened his first city centre location on Bold Street. The "super salon" we know today pulled staff from all corners of his pre-existing stores to create a central hub of skilled staff, colourists and technicians. Although the older locations would soon close their doors at the end of their leases, it allowed Voodou to channel its creativity and expertise to a far wider audience.

Rob said: "Most of the staff were happy to move while others naturally moved away with the times. People became mums or went on to different things but we fully accommodated everyone in the change. The Bold Street salon is massive. We were able to do more from one venue than we could multiple. It was a no-brainer and completely changed things for everyone. Stylists had more clients, the business grew and I eventually put down the scissors."

It's been 26 years since Rob last stepped on the shop floor though he admits he dreams about cutting, styling and colouring on a regular basis. He said: "I stopped when I was 40 to concentrate on the management. The team were fantastic and could do everything so it was my turn to really focus behind the scenes.

"My main job is marketing now. That's where I put all my energy. I still see the girls every day and I even get a few of my clients from years ago popping in to see me which is amazing. I work with the stylists and try to push everyone as much as I know they can grow and it's great to see all these new generations with all this passion."

Rob has since bagged the team numerous awards including everything from Salon of the Year and Best Hair Salon to Marketing Campaign of the Year. Looking back at Voodou's journey across almost five decades, Rob said: "I'm super proud of everything we've achieved and everyone in the team. We see it as one big dysfunctional family. We'll certainly be having a big party for our 50 years."

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