USA trip, 28 October to 7 November 2026

Picking our route

Two goals for the trip: build and sell something real, and meet good people along the way. Below are the four routes we could take, what each costs, and how we make the money back.

Four routes

Wednesday to Friday is the same on every route: land in Orlando, a solo day in Gainesville, then Jacksonville. Pick a route to see the map and the days.

Whole route
DriveFly NatureSights Going outBuild & meet

Tap a city to zoom in and see every pitstop around it. Tap a diamond for details.

    Flights

    Airlines, times and booking tips

    Typical one-way economy fares per person from Kayak, Expedia and airline route pages, not live quotes for these dates. Pounds at roughly $1.30 to £1. Book 4+ weeks ahead, especially the Halloween Saturday. Most airlines charge for checked bags; Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant also charge for carry-ons. Check Google Flights or Southwest before booking.

    How they score

    Our rough judgement, out of 5, against what we actually want from the trip. "Going out" means live music, dancing and social nights, judged for two people who don't drink. "Easy travel" means fewer hours driving and flying.

    Rough cost per person

    See the breakdown

    Very rough, in pounds, per person, sharing rooms, and not including the flights to and from the UK. No alcohol saves a lot: soft drinks, cover charges and food only. Flight rows use the fares in the flights table. Halloween weekend hotels cost more, so book early. Nights at your friend's in Jacksonville are free.

    Why these scores
      The honest take on Salt Lake City
      • Meeting people is still harderSomewhere between 4 and 6 in 10 Utahns are Latter-day Saints, depending on how it's counted (fewer in Salt Lake City itself). Not drinking actually fits in well here, but many locals socialise through church, marry young and date within their faith.
      • Quieter nightsFar fewer live music venues and late-night spots than Nashville or Austin. Since you don't drink, this matters less than it would for most visitors.
      • Awkward timingEarly November is between seasons: cold up high, near freezing at night, and the ski resorts usually open later in the month.
      • Harder to get toThere's no direct flight from Charleston, so you change planes in Denver or Atlanta (6h40 or more). Coming back there are nonstops to Orlando (about 4h25), but the 2-hour time difference still eats the day.
      • Costs more overallThe two flights cost about the same as the three short hops on Route A, but you add a one-way car fee in Charleston and Park City prices.
      • Where it winsReal mountains 30 minutes from downtown, and Silicon Slopes is a serious tech scene. If the trip were only about hiking and building, it would rank much higher.

      Who lives there

      The stops on the selected route. Figures are approximate, for each city's own limits.

      The $10k plan

      Book the meetings before we fly, then use the trip to close. The numbers are example targets, not guarantees.

      Assumes about a 15% reply rate and 1 in 3 meetings closing. Monthly retainers carry on after we're home.

      What we sell

      • "Get found on Google and stop losing leads." Local SEO and Google Business Profile fixes, plus AI follow-up: missed-call text-back, a website chatbot, automatic review requests.
      • $2,500 setup + $500–1,000 a month. Four clients gets us to $10k.
      • One niche where a single customer is worth a lot: roofers, air con, med spas, dentists or law firms.
      Now – 27 OctList 200 businesses, send video audits, book meetings.
      On the tripMorning meetings, walk-ins, local networking events, close.
      AfterDeliver from the UK and the US, collect retainers.

      Who does what

      Ibrahim is visiting on an ESTA, which allows business meetings but not doing paid work for US clients while in the US. Not legal advice: check the official ESTA guidance before flying.

      Ibrahim (UK, on ESTA)

      • Pitch, meet clients, negotiate and sign
      • Strategy, audits and proposals in meetings
      • Keep doing his existing UK client work
      • Deliver work for US clients while in the US
      • Deliver his share from the UK afterwards, via IBMO

      Friend (US)

      • Contracts and payments through a US business
      • Any delivery work during the trip
      • US side of taxes
      • Written split agreement, signed by both of us
      • At the border, Ibrahim says it straight: visiting a friend, travelling, a few business meetings

      To do before 28 Oct

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