ACT franchise



 ACTis nowplanning to setup
 its own shops.  From an ACT
 shop, you should be able to buy
 the sort of things that you can
 buy in any business-computing
 store, with the obvious extra
 point that you should be able to
 buy the entire ACT and Pulsar
 software range.
   The chain of ACT shops will
 be called Computerworld if the
 group gets its way, but there are
 obstacles to the name.  There is
 a company which is called
 Computer World Trade, which
 admittedly didn't j timp into my



 mind when I heard
 Computerworld, but which
 might nonetheless get edgy.
 And there is a newspaper called
 ComputerWorld.  Normally,
 thereis nothingto stopa shop
 havingthesamenameasa
 newspaper, but again, it leaves
 the edge of uncertainty lying
 about to trip over.
   Interestingly, the idea is
 notforACTtoownthe
 Computerworld stores.  The
 pilot store has been set up with a
 minority ACT ownership, in
 Bristol- but the company
 executives assure me that this is
 an exception.
   Instead, the stores will be
 franchised, like McDonald
 burgers.  ACT will provide the
 ddcor, to ensure they all look
 alike, and can share in the
 benefit of group advertising,
 but the store manager will have
 hisownbusiness.
   Anddespitewhatyoumay
 think, people selling the ACT
 Sirius will be able to sell other
 micros -'even the IBM PC if
 they can convince us they need
 the franchise,'said an
 executive.  'But obviously we
 will generally take the line that
 we have such a wide range of
 products that they shoul dn't
 needto.'