We're running one of our short reader surveys today, which we'd really appreciate your insight on.

It's a similar survey to one we ran, roughly this time last year, so we're interested in comparing the results to see if 2019 is turning out to be markedly different for our readers.

Around this time in 2018 England had been knocked out of a World Cup at the semi-final stage, we were in the midst of one of the longest, hottest and driest spells the country had encountered for many years and Brexit was both looming and uncertain.

Fast forward to this summer, England have won a World Cup, we have thankfully had a bit more of a mixture when it comes to the weather with some longish hot spells, punctuated by rain and as for Brexit . . . well that's still looming and possibly breeding more uncertainty than ever! You can't have everything I suppose (and I'll take Buttler smashing those bails off every day of the week!).

So right now, how confident do you feel for your business? Do you have a sense for how the rest of the year might pan out for you? Please take our survey to let us know.

We of course always talk about how it's the weather more than anything which dictates a season's fortunes - and that's not in dispute. However, one has to presume that this on-going Brexit situation can't in anyway actually be helpful?

The William Goldman quote about Hollywood that "nobody knows anything" couldn't be more applicable when it come to the discussion surrounding Brexit at the moment. It's unprecedented. However the never-ending parade of pundits on the TV and think-pieces in the papers and online, all espousing how they believe the country will fare following an exit from European Union - is merely that discussion giving consumers pause for thought? It doesn't seem unreasonable to surmise that, even if customers believe everything will be fine and dandy once we leave, there could be that little nagging doubt in their mind telling them they should be hanging on to those pounds in their pockets?

This is not to say it's all doom and gloom out there at moment. A season without the 'punch' of last year, as one manufacturer I was talking to put it, must be welcome following the swathes of burnt grass we saw in '18? Also, signs might indicate that the season will have legs?

What also seems to be common this summer is that many dealers across the country are experiencing very busy workshops. I'm sure many of you have been dealing with vocal customers who want their mower back yesterday because surprise, surprise, the grass is growing for them too! Obviously it would be churlish to complain of being busy, but these swings from one extreme to another must be the bane of dealers' lives?!

When we canvassed our readers this time last year about how confident they were feeling, the message we received back is that it was clearly very hard out there, but on the whole confidence was just about holding up. Hardly a ringing endorsement, but 56% of respondents did describe themselves as ‘confident’ for their business – although it should be noted that barely anyone (3%) who responded described themselves as ‘very confident’, compared to 29% who did so when we asked the question in 2017.

But how confident are you feeling about your business at the moment? Are you planning on expanding the premises, taking on more staff, more franchises? We'd really appriciate hearing from you today so we can build a picture of how our readers are feeling this year.

As ever we'll publish the results and selection of your quotes in the next issue of Service Dealer magazine. Thanks for your help.

TAKE THE SURVEY