A Toronto small business owner recently got candid about the struggles of keeping her shop in business.

Celebrating 13 years offering Roncesvalles Village — and later, Leslieville, — carefully curated home goods, children's products and accessories, it would be easy to assume that it's always been nothing but smooth sailing for Scout.

In a recent newsletter, though, shop owner Leah Eyles shares that the past several years have actually been anything but.

"I’m not going to sugar coat things, this past year hasn’t been an easy one," Leah writes as part of a broader reflection on the past 13 years of operating the business.

"From some of my core staff moving on, to the vandalism and a break in at Leslieville, to flooding and a leak, to a continued decline in revenue with increases in expenses, and on top of that some personal challenges of my own, it hasn’t been smooth sailing."

On top of that, the years following the Covid-19 pandemic, Leah says, have been challenging not only for Scout, but for every small business fighting to stay alive since then.

"I always want to show up as a strong leader. I feel like I was able to do that to the best of my ability during the pandemic, but continuing to find that energy has been difficult," Leah writes.

"In the 13 years of owning a business, these last few years have felt extra challenging. I think after dealing with a pandemic any stress or overwhelm since that is just harder to cope with," she adds.

She's not the only small business owner publically coming clean about their struggles recently.

Also this week, Glory Hole Doughnuts owner Ashley Jacot De Boinod took to her Instagram account to tell a similar story about the lasting impact of Covid-19 putting a strain on not just small businesses, but their owners' well-being.

In spite of the challenges, Leah makes sure to be clear: "Scout isn't going anywhere."

Instead, Leah says she'll continue to explore balancing her own mental wellness while simultaneously growing her business, and she offers some tips on how you can support small business owners during this difficult time.

Prioritizing shopping small, reviewing businesses on Google, engaging with them on social media, sharing your favourite small businesses with your friends and checking in on any small business owners in your life are, according to Leah, the best possible ways to ensure your favourite small businesses can thrive.

"There is something to be said for acknowledging the difficulties. Even sharing this letter I feel a little lighter," Leah writes. "Sending lots of love out to everyone who is struggling right now."

Scout has two locations in Toronto, at 405 Roncesvalles Avenue and 1140 Queen East.