How Not to Acquire a Company

1. String the banks and management team along for months. Change the deal terms twenty times.
2. Show up unannounced with a huge team 15 minutes after funding, when the CEO and former owner is out of the office.
3. Immediately lock out everybody's email and network account.
4. Post armed guards at every door.
5. Break your word about how many people will be laid off and under what circumstances.
6. Lay off nearly everybody, with a, ahem, promise that they might get hired back at some point.
7. Try to run the remains of the company with approximately 20% of the people required to make it a success.
8. Neglect to have an external communication plan in place to support existing customers and affiliates.

Just in case you were wondering how it should be done.