Piecely - a puzzle idea goes around the world
Jasmin Nasser is actually a globetrotter, but Corona has slowed her down. She returned to Hanover from Australia just in time and moved back in with her family without further ado. Here she began to do puzzles. First out of boredom, then out of passion. This gave rise to the idea of founding Piecely, a company that does away with "dusty" puzzle motifs and produces sustainable, climate-neutral and plastic-free puzzles with works by artists from all over the world. Since June 2021, she has sold around 4,500 puzzles across Europe, mainly to France. "A puzzle may not solve all your problems, but a puzzle is a problem you can solve." This is Jasmin Nasser's manifesto.
Jasmin, how did you come up with the idea of turning your hobby into a business model?
Jigsaw puzzles are like real life. You put the individual puzzle pieces together piece by piece to create a harmonious overall picture. You sometimes make mistakes, but in the end you are rewarded with an extraordinary work of art. At first, it was a great way to pass the time, which encouraged concentration and required patience. I found my puzzles on the internet. At the same time, I follow great artists all over the world via Insta. At some point, I had the idea of combining the two. Now I have a few creative people under contract and both sides benefit from it. I now have ten different designs with 500 or 1,000 pieces on offer.
Be honest: can you make a living from it?
After my early return from Australia, I was unemployed at first, but then I was offered a job as a part-time employee. That's a good thing, because it means I have a basic income and can look after my own business at the same time. It's going better and better now and I've learned a lot. For example, that you should have enough puzzles in stock before Christmas. Last year, I sold out far too early. I think I could live entirely off Piecely in 2023 if I wanted to.
What makes your products sustainable?
They are completely plastic-free and are produced in Germany in a climate-neutral way. Even the electricity comes from our own generation and the pieces are delivered in an organic Fairtrade cotton bag. The puzzle and packaging are made from recycled waste paper. That's as good as it gets.
What are your tips for other founders?
Just do it, just do it. That's the tip I would like to give everyone. You grow with your tasks. Start simply, even with little capital. I asked myself what's worse: being annoyed afterwards that I didn't give it a go. Or, at worst, wasting some capital. I started my business from unemployment and only then took on a part-time job. That way, my business can grow slowly and sustainably. I started with 100 puzzles, which were sold out within a month. In the meantime, retailers from France, among others, are ordering small and large runs of up to 400 pieces per order.
Contact details:
Jasmin Nasser
Phone: 0157-53316953
E-mail: info@piecelypuzzles.com
Jasmin Nasser on working with hannoverimpuls:
hannoverimpuls gave me really good advice because I needed a loan for pre-production. We formulated goals, discussed options and quickly came to a good result. I already had experience from another project, so the business plan was completed very quickly. Once again, hannoverimpuls provided good support and tips.
Melissa Jung, Project Manager Start-up and Entrepreneurship at hannoverimpuls, about Jasmin Nasser:
Jasmin took part in #gößerDenken as well as giving advice. And with success, as you can see! I think it's great how she is revolutionizing the puzzle market and having success with it throughout Europe.