Freelance Accelerator
Welcome to CaterpillHERs Freelance Accelerator, dedicated to empowering women in Pakistan to thrive in the digital economy. Our 14-week program is designed to equip women with the skills and confidence needed to succeed as freelancers, providing a pathway to financial independence and professional fulfillment.
14 WEEKS | LIVE + ASYNC | ACTION PACKED
Program Overview
Embark on a transformative journey with our 14-week accelerator program, carefully crafted to empower women through freelancing. Our hands-on approach ensures you learn by doing, gaining practical experience that sets you up for success in the competitive freelancing landscape. Join us and unlock the doors to financial independence, where your success not only transforms your life but uplifts entire communities. Enroll today to secure your place in our next cohort!
USD 150
PKR 40,000
What’s Included:
14 weeks of blended freelance accelerator
Live group coaching calls
20+ hours of Video Content
and much more!
CLASSES START
January 2025
Who is this program for?
Aspiring Freelancers
You're eager to harness the power of freelancing to chart your own professional path and maximize your earning potential.
Career Changers
You're ready to pivot into a more flexible and fulfilling career, leveraging your existing skills or exploring new ones in the world of freelancing.
Entrepreneurs
You dream of being your own boss, carving out your niche in the digital marketplace, and enjoying the freedom and flexibility that freelancing offers.
Returning Professionals
You're seeking to re-enter the workforce after a hiatus, whether due to caregiving responsibilities or other life events, and freelancing offers you the flexibility to balance work and life on your terms.
Meet Your Instructors
Whether it is just insightful advice or high-touch support throughout our designated cohorts, our mentors get it. Here are some of the industry veterans and content experts who have designed our curriculum.
Hira Saeed
CEO, CaterpillHERs
Faiza Yousuf
CPO, CaterpillHERs
Asra Rizwan
Program, UC Berkeley
What’s Included
Access to need-based mentorship
14-weeks of Vetted Freelance Curriculum
Discount for groups of 2 or more
Lifetime Access to CaterpillHers Academy
Bi Monthly Coaching Sessions
Guided Placement Opportunities
Module 01: Introduction to Freelancing & Niche Selection
This lesson outlines the first module. You’ll learn the freelancing basics and market landscape in the upcoming lessons. We will also discuss cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, exploring the gig economy trends, and evaluating your skills to choose the right niche.
This lesson introduces the basic definition and mechanics of freelancing and provides an overview of the current freelancing landscape It also surveys Pakistan’s freelance market and the growing women’s participation in the gig economy.
This lesson navigates the freelancer's mindset and outlines the possible freelancing challenges and benefits. It discusses work-life balance in freelancers and how this career helps build essential skills and strengths to survive in a continuously evolving economy.
This lesson explores the definition of trends and their impact on freelancers. It examines current trends such as generative AI, creator content, building in public, and using data analytics in freelancing. Additionally, it delves into other emerging trends shaping freelancing, offering insights for adapting to an evolving economy.
This lesson guides through niche definition and how to narrow it down. It emphasizes the significance of niche selection and conducting market research to identify profitable niches. Additionally, it explores the Ikigai concept to align passion, mission, vocation, and profession.
This lesson concludes the first module and recaps the essential concepts covered so far including freelancing fundamentals, current market status, emerging trends, niche selection, and striking a work-life balance in your career as a freelancer.
Module 02: Setting Goals & Business Processes
This lesson outlines the second module In the following lessons, you will learn to set SMART freelancing goals and essential business processes such as pricing, payment methods, etc. We will also discuss effective client engagement, acing freelance interviews, and creating a personal code of conduct.
This lesson unpacks setting up SMART goals and reverse engineering for achievable goals. It will guide you in setting clear income, client acquisition, and self-development goals to drive professional growth. Lastly, we will explore leveraging AI tools for effective goal setting.
This lesson will help you craft an ideal freelance lifestyle with tips on finding clients, automating workflow, and setting up efficient communication and project management tools. Moreover, setting up payment methods, taxation, and accounting protocols is addressed for financial management efficiency.
This lesson delves into the distinct aspects of freelance interviews, employing the STAR response technique for effective communication. You will learn to make an interview toolbox and navigate the dos and don'ts of interviews. Additionally, principles of negotiation will be covered for successful client interactions.
This lesson focuses on cultivating effective client engagement strategies, and exploring best practices and pitfalls to avoid. It will discuss the importance of establishing a professional code of conduct and creating a rate card to streamline the pricing structure according to your worth in the market.Â
This lesson wraps up the second module and reflects on the important concepts such as how to set up SMART goals and an efficient business system for effective client engagement and retention, proper pricing, and a code of conduct to strengthen your reputation. Â
Module 03: Profile, Portfolio, & Outreach
This lesson introduces key topics from the third module such as establishing a strong online presence. It will share insights on building and sharing portfolios with beginner-friendly tools, setting up a website, LinkedIn profile optimization, crafting winning cover letters, and mastering effective cold emailing strategies to attract potential clients.
This lesson emphasizes creating a portfolio to showcase your skills and expertise visually. It provides practical guidance for freelancers with limited experience on how to create and publish a portfolio. A portfolio checklist is also provided to ensure completeness, followed by strategies for pitching your portfolio to potential clients.
This lesson highlights the importance of freelancers having a website and guides participants through the website-building process. It includes a 10-day portfolio website challenge breaking the entire process into smaller steps. It also has a list of online tools for making a website.
This lesson underscores the significance of freelancers optimizing their LinkedIn profiles. It will discuss the step-by-step process for effective profile optimization. Additionally, we'll explore leveraging ChatGPT to enhance profile quality and visibility.
This lesson dives into the essentials of writing cover letters and cold emails. We will discuss the do’s and don’ts of it and what are the practical ways for successfully reaching potential clients.Â
This lesson closes the third module and summarizes the key insights such as the importance of a well-built portfolio, a freelancing website, and an optimized LinkedIn profile to enhance personal branding along with strategies for client outreach.Â
Module 04: Mastering Upwork
This lesson serves as an overview of the fourth module, which focuses on creating an Upwork profile that meets approval standards and the strategies to secure employment opportunities. This module will also discuss setting up a project catalog and consulting hours and diversifying your skill set and services.
This lesson focuses on exploring Upwork as one of the top freelancing platforms and guides through setting up an Upwork profile that attracts clients. It will also discuss various features such as connects, talent badges, reports, etc. that enhance the freelancing experience on this platform.
 This lesson is all about effectively looking for jobs on Upwork. It explains the communication and payment protocols within Upwork, how to price your services, gain the attention of clients through cover letters, and improve your profile by adding a project catalog.
This lesson sheds light on the importance of diversifying to keep a steady stream of work in the fluctuating freelance market. We will cover diversifying skills, income streams, client base, geographical exposure, and types of projects for career growth.
This lesson recapitulates the key points from the module such as creating a stellar Upwork profile for increased job opportunities and diversifying various aspects of freelancing such as client base, skill set, etc. for continuous career growth.Â
Module 5: Client Acquisition Through Social Media
 This lesson introduces the fifth module which is based on finding clients using social media strategies. We will explore Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn as lead-generation platforms and understand effective networking and cold outreach.
This lesson discusses how Facebook can help freelancers acquire clients. We will go over multiple features of Facebook and professional freelancers’ profiles to understand the strategic use of Facebook in generating leads.
This lesson explores how Instagram can be leveraged to connect with potential clients. We'll delve into various features unique to Instagram, such as Stories, IGTV, and Reels, examining how they can be strategically utilized to showcase your work and attract clients.Â
This lesson is dedicated to understanding how LinkedIn serves as a powerful tool for freelancers to expand their client base. Its distinct features like networking, content sharing, and recommendations are useful in building credibility and connecting with potential clients.
This lesson covers the essentials of networking and cold outreach as a freelancer. We will go through various strategies for successful client engagement through the practices of networking and cold outreach.
This lesson summarizes the main points from the fifth module that social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are useful tools for freelancers to attract potential clients. Also, mastering cold outreach and networking is beneficial in expanding the client base.
Module 06: Increased Productivity & Mental Well-being
This lesson outlines the sixth module which focuses on increasing productivity by incorporating automating tools into the workflow. The upcoming lessons will also discuss maintaining mental well-being, combating imposter syndrome, and finding a community in your freelancing journey.
This lesson focuses on the productivity-enhancing capabilities of Generative AI across various domains. We will look at different AI tools for tasks such as writing, scheduling, project management, etc. that help to streamline work and boost efficiency.
 This lesson delves into intercultural competence, exploring its significance and context. It will guide how to develop a cultural lens and gain strategies for effectively contributing to diverse intercultural teams.
This lesson emphasizes the importance of having a supportive community, or "tribe". You'll learn strategies for identifying and connecting with like-minded individuals who align with your values and goals.Â
This lesson emphasizes the importance of having a supportive community, or "tribe". You'll learn strategies for identifying and connecting with like-minded individuals who align with your values and goals.Â
This lesson concludes the sixth module and recaps the main topics like integration of AI tools in workflow for increased productivity, recognizing and dealing with the imposter syndrome, building an intercultural lens and being open to differences, and lastly, becoming a part of an uplifting community.
Sponsors and Partners
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes and No. CaterpillHERs programs are designed like online courses but they are deeper and more meaningful than any other online course. We call them an accelerator that includes accumulated training sessions, masterclasses, expert workshops, group coaching and 1:1 mentorship, all combined with an online curriculum that you watch at your own pace.
Yes, the accelerator would only be beneficial for those who are 100% committed to learning and implementing what we teach. If you already have a skillset and some knowledge about freelancing, it’s definitely a plus.
On average, a participant will spend 5-7 hours per week to meet the requirements.
Once you have filled out the form, the program team reviews your application and we contact you for a screening interview which will be stage 2 of the application process.
Yes. We release blockchain certificates with no expiration date which you can add to your portfolios.Â
No, you will continue to have lifetime access to the course, CaterpillHERs academy, and community.
Absolutely! After graduating from the program, you will forever be in our hearts and our alum community!
Always feel free to email us at mukti@caterpillhers.com
CaterpillHers has been featured in
