This feeling of waking up on a Friday morning after another tremendously significant vote has become all too familiar in recent years.

How will the events of last night affect our industry? Whenever we ask questions along those lines of our readers, we usually receive an overwhelming 'not much' in response! 

Weather is of course our number one factor of influence regarding a good or bad year. Although I have heard from dealers in the past who tell me the very fact of holding an election slows up trade in their store - so at least that's out of the way now!

A typical response to a recent survey we ran, asking our readers how they felt prospects were for their business next year, was, "After over 40 years in the trade, I have seen it all before and survived, and while the last two years have been difficult, grass still grows and people need machines and repairs." Which frankly, is a truism which it's almost impossible to argue against.

This particular commentator went on to express the opinion, I'm guessing held by many, that the sooner we can get back to just worrying about the weather, the better.

And I suppose what the underlying problem here has been, is the uncertainty which has pervaded the thinking of both business owners and customers alike in recent times.

Whether in reality, this result which Boris and his supporters were looking for has actually resolved, or put us on the path to resolving uncertainty - well, that's something which each of our own individual politics will have us arguing over. 

Perhaps though, if the majority of the public have at least had their perceptions changed as a result of the election - if it helps to create a shift in mass attitudes - well, maybe that's a positive worth clinging on to?

A recent article in The Guardian, highlighted several small business owners concerns regarding the current state of the economy. An interesting read, a quote from a house builder stood out for me, as the sort of thoughts I've seen articulated by our readers. He said, "Brexit uncertainty has proved to be a nightmare. And elections are not much better. They also make people feel anxious about the future."

Similar to this quoted house builder, specialist dealers don't need their customers feeling anxious about the future. They want people investing in new machinery and technologies, as well as seeing value in keeping their older kit in good working order. Anxiety about the future doesn't help in the slightest.

At this early stage it would be unwise for supporters of any political colour to make a grand statement along the lines of uncertainty in the market is or isn't over. It's too early for that. But if matters now do start to move towards an increased clarity - and of course if the sun shines and the rain falls - perhaps we can move into the new decade with some quiet optimism.

Because, as one of our readers said recently in response to our survey, "If you are not optimistic, you will not succeed in attracting more customers."