Marketing Handovers: Keep Momentum When Leaders Leave

Most small businesses don’t lose marketing momentum because their ads stop working. They lose it because the person holding the plan in their head disappears.

That’s why the news that Next’s group marketing director, Jane Shields, is retiring after 40 years is more than retail gossip. It’s a clean example of a problem every UK solopreneur faces sooner or later: what happens to your marketing when you’re not available… or when you hand it to someone else?

Next is doing two things at once: managing a leadership handover (marketing moving to Matt Barnes, a customer service leader) and tightening the rules around what counts as “profitable” marketing—famously targeting £1.50 incremental profit for every £1 spent. Big business context, yes. But the lesson is very small-business friendly: document what works, tie spend to returns, and make customer experience part of marketing.

What Next’s leadership change teaches solopreneurs

A marketing leadership change exposes the weak points in any growth system. If performance depends on one person’s memory, one spreadsheet, or one “gut feel,” it isn’t a system—it’s a single point of failure.

At Next, Jane Shields didn’t just run marketing. Her remit evolved over decades: sales, retail marketing, online marketing, directory, customer contact centre, HR. That’s a reminder that in practice, marketing touches everything customers experience.

For a solopreneur, the equivalent is obvious: you do brand, content, social, email, website tweaks, offers, and customer support. If you get ill, go on holiday, or decide to outsource, your pipeline can stall overnight.

The “40-year brain” problem (and the small business version)

Next had the benefit of long-term consistency in leadership. Most one-person businesses have the opposite: fragmented efforts, changing tactics, and stop-start posting.

Here’s what I’ve found works: treat your marketing like an asset you’re building, not a task list you complete.

If someone else had to run your marketing for 30 days, could they? If the answer is “no,” you don’t need more channels—you need more clarity.

Build a “marketing continuity plan” (even if it’s just you)

A continuity plan sounds corporate. In reality, it’s a 60–90 minute exercise that saves months of chaos later.

Your goal is simple: make your digital marketing repeatable.

Step 1: Write your one-page strategy (the non-fluffy version)

This is the minimum viable strategy a freelancer, consultant, or micro-agency can execute without you.

Include:

• Ideal customer: who buys fast and stays happiest
• Core offer(s): what you sell, price bands, and what’s excluded
• Positioning: “We help X achieve Y without Z”
• Primary acquisition channels: pick 1–2 (e.g., Google search + LinkedIn)
• Proof assets: case studies, testimonials, before/after examples
• Lead route: how enquiries come in (form, call booking, DM)

Keep it plain-English. If it reads like a brand manifesto, rewrite it.

Step 2: Document your weekly marketing cadence

Momentum comes from rhythm.

A practical weekly cadence for UK solopreneurs might be:

• 1 short authority post on LinkedIn (or Instagram)
• 1 helpful email to your list
• 1 pipeline action (follow-ups, partnerships, referral asks)
• 1 performance check (traffic, leads, conversion rate)

Write down:

• where you post
• your content themes
• how you repurpose (post → email → blog)
• what “good enough” looks like

This matters because if you outsource later, you’re not asking someone to “do marketing.” You’re asking them to run a known operating system.

Step 3: Create a simple “brand do/don’t” guide

Most handovers fail on tone and consistency.

Include:

• 5 words that describe your brand voice (e.g., “direct, friendly, evidence-led”)
• 5 things you never say (overpromises, jargon, discounts you won’t run)
• your visual basics (logo files, colours, fonts)
• 3–5 example posts/emails that represent “you on a good day”

Spend like Next: define “profitable marketing” for a small budget

Next is cautious with marketing spend and evaluates returns with a clear hurdle rate. That discipline is exactly what many solopreneurs skip—usually because it feels “too spreadsheet-y.”

The reality? Being strict about returns is how you buy your time back.

Set your own hurdle rate (no finance degree needed)

Next reportedly looks for £1.50 incremental profit per £1 spent. Your number will vary, but you need one.

A simple solopreneur version:

• If you sell a £1,000 service with ~60% gross margin, your gross profit is ~£600.
• If 1 in 10 leads becomes a customer, each lead is worth about £60 gross profit (600 ÷ 10).

That gives you a clear rule:

• If you can acquire a qualified lead for under £60, it’s viable.
• If it’s £120, it’s probably a vanity campaign.

This is the backbone of small business digital marketing that scales without panic.

Track the three numbers that actually matter

Forget dashboards with 40 metrics. Track these weekly:

1. Qualified leads (not clicks)
2. Conversion rate from lead → customer
3. Cost per lead (time + ad spend)

If those improve, your marketing is improving.

Why Next shifting marketing toward customer service is a big clue

Next is handing marketing responsibilities to a leader from online customer service. That’s not random; it reflects how modern growth works.

For many businesses, the fastest marketing win isn’t “more reach.” It’s a smoother customer journey.

Omnichannel isn’t a buzzword—it’s your customer’s reality

Your buyer might:

• find you on Google
• check your Instagram for proof
• read reviews
• email a question
• book a call
• pay an invoice
• ask for support later

If any step feels clunky, your conversion rate drops. That’s why putting customer service and marketing closer together can lift revenue without increasing spend.

Practical omnichannel moves for a one-person business

These are high-impact, low-admin improvements:

• Turn FAQs into conversion assets: add a “Common questions” section to every sales page.
• Standardise response times: even “I’ll reply tomorrow by 2pm” builds trust.
• Save and reuse answers: create canned responses for pricing, availability, next steps.
• Use customer language in marketing: copy phrases from emails into your site headlines.

Marketing that ignores customer support is expensive. Marketing that learns from it gets cheaper over time.

How to handle a marketing handover without losing pipeline

Sooner or later, most solopreneurs hire help: a freelancer, a VA, an agency, or even a part-time marketing manager. The handover period is where leads go missing.

Here’s the process I recommend.

A 14-day handover checklist (built for tiny teams)

Day 1–2: Access and assets

• domain + website login
• Google Analytics/Search Console
• ad accounts (if any)
• email platform + list hygiene
• brand files and templates

Day 3–5: Offer and audience clarity

• your best-selling offer and who it’s for
• “red flag” clients to avoid
• objections you hear on calls

Day 6–10: Campaign priorities

• what’s currently working (with numbers)
• what you tried and stopped (and why)
• seasonal peaks (for January: New Year budgeting, fresh-start habits, Q1 planning)

Day 11–14: Live execution

• publish 1 post, send 1 email, and review 1 week of performance together
• agree a weekly scorecard and owners

If you can’t complete this checklist, that’s not failure—it’s a map of what to systemise next.

People also ask: marketing transition questions solopreneurs Google

How do I keep marketing consistent when I’m too busy?

Pick one “always-on” channel (email or search-led content), create a weekly cadence, and batch work monthly. Consistency beats intensity.

What should I document first before outsourcing digital marketing?

Document your offer, your lead process, and your performance benchmarks. Without those, you’ll pay for activity instead of outcomes.

Should customer service sit inside marketing for a small business?

Yes, functionally. Your support inbox is a goldmine for messaging, objections, and content ideas—and it directly affects conversion.

The stance I’d take (especially in January)

January is when UK small businesses either set a realistic growth system—or repeat last year’s stop-start marketing. The difference is rarely creativity. It’s continuity.

Next’s story is a reminder that stable growth comes from clear ownership, measurable returns, and customer experience that reinforces the brand.

If you’re a solopreneur, you don’t need a 40-year marketing director. You need a marketing setup that doesn’t collapse when you’re not at your desk.

Write the one-pager. Set the cadence. Decide your hurdle rate. Then make support part of the marketing loop.

Where would your marketing break first if you stepped away for two weeks—and what’s the smallest change you could make this month to fix it?