I often get asked to listen to pitches for new web companies, mostly with the idea of offering advice, suggestions or helping someone take a project to the next level. I am always eager to participate in these sessions, because it gives me a good idea of how people perceive the opportunities that the web presents, and it also often highlights the many misconceptions that people have of marketing in this space (If only 1% of all online people pay us $5, we’ll be very successful, and will offer ourselves to Google ….., you get the idea).

So I was THRILLED to be given the opportunity to hear the concept of a new local start up that has HUGE global potential. I cannot say anything about the company itself (yet), but I can already see that if the cards are played right here, we have the next “obvious” application, that will appear on web pages all over the world, coming right out of our shores. That is great news. But it is not often that local companies can easily go global, which is why when the founders of this particular start up launch, I wish them the best of luck.

Which got me thinking – how exactly do you go global? In South Africa, which really does have a small online community, if you only slightly network, you are no more than two degrees of separation from those who can propel you forward if they believe in your product. It is more difficult to launch big, quickly and cheaply if the whole world is your intended audience.

I suppose you can attend the many overseas trade shows and seminars to spread the word, but that is hardly cheap or quick. You can open yourself to outside funding, but that might be a bit premature and a bad early move. Your best bet is to depend on the very community that you can attract (local) to be networked enough globally to spread the word. And that can happen. Or you resign yourself that your launch will need to sacrifice at least one of the three “big, cheap and quick” requirements, and you come up with a very, very good hook – which, by the way, this particular company seems to have done.

The good news is that the company is soft launching in South Africa, and soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Or subscribe to this blog, where I will of course keep you updated!