Earlier today, the website of a relatively new Ann Arbor brewery was taken down and replaced with the above message. And, since then, their Yelp reviews have gone into a tailspin. At last count, they had eight new one-star reviews, all calling for people to boycott the business on account of what one person called their “absolutely despicable and unacceptable” business practices. And, not just that, but, as a result of this, a former employee has just taken to Facebook to talk about her less than positive experiences with the owners. What started earlier today with a local graphic designer sharing that her client had told her, “You can keep calling, but we’re not paying you,” and asking what recourse she had, has now blown up into something that could very well sink business which just launched earlier this summer. Regardless of who’s wrong and who’s right in this, you have to appreciate the overwhelming power that social media now has over not just our local business ecosystems, but over our interpersonal relationships.

For what it’s worth, having seen a number of my graphic designer friends stiffed over the years, I’m inclined to believe the designer in this instance. For some reason, when it comes time to get paid, it seems as though the creative professionals always find themselves at the back of the line.

You can’t not pay your electric bill. You can’t not pay your produce supplier. You can’t not pay your attorney. But, chances are, you can not pay your graphic designer and get away with it… Well, until now, apparently.