I can’t remember exactly how I first discovered Barbara and her fantastic project Grammatikon. But I do remember immediately being impressed by the books approach and thoughtful design. So much so, I shared it in my 2022 Germany Expat Entrepreneur Gift Guide. So I thought it would be fun for her to share a little more about her project here on the blog.
What’s your side hustle business name?
Tell us who you are, where you’re originally from and how you ended up in Germany.
My name is Barbara Avila Vissirini, I am a communication designer and originally from Brazil. After completing my Bachelor in Graphic Design back home, I started to consider continuing my studies abroad. I wanted to experience how other countries approach design and I wanted to learn from them.
I already knew people in and from Germany who told me about Master Programs here. After doing some research I decided to move here to learn the language and then apply to universities. It has been almost 7 years now.
What’s your main hustle?
I work part time as a Brand Manager for a publisher specialized in school books. I love the fact that both my jobs allow me to apply my design skills in the educational department.
How would you explain your side-hustle to someone at a biergarten?
I created a visual system to explain German grammar to non-native speakers and now I am developing new learning products that apply this system.
What made you decide to start one?
I never imagined I would one day have my own business and it took me a few months just to get used to the thought of starting one. The idea was very scary in the beginning (and it still is!), but I was drawn to the challenge and the creative freedom to try something new. Thinking that I could bring something new to the market, which could help other foreigners by making their learning journey easier, motivated me to take the risk.
How many hours/days a week do you spend on it?
I work (at least) two days a week in it.
Did you have any bureaucratic hassles to getting started? If yes, how did you overcome them?
Oh yes, many! Thankfully the university I went to here in Germany has an entrepreneurship school that provides free orientation for students who want to start a business. They explained what I had to do, answered my questions and helped me with the paperwork.
What’s your best tip for getting clients and business?
Meet and connect with people.
Any tool or service you use in your side hustle that you highly recommend?
I love working with Miro to brainstorm and collect references, and I found SevDesk an easy to use tool for bookkeeping. My favorite tool is however the good old Youtube! There is just so much you can learn there.
What’s your long term goal for your side hustle?
My long term goal is to turn it into my main hustle and be able to employ others. I would love to keep creating innovative learning products, I have so many ideas!
What’s your favorite productivity hack for working on your side hustle while holding down a job (and hopefully having a life too!)
The best “hack” is to take really good care of yourself, listen to your body, take breaks and nurture your friendships. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed and get overworked, especially if you are in a foreign country! In the beginning it was hard for me to set boundaries, but I learned the hard way that you will not come far without finding balance. This graphic from Liz Fosslien portraits this very well and I love it.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I love trying new crafts, playing with art supplies, going to a park, meeting friends or watching series at home.
What do you like most about living in Germany?
The work-life-balance and the fact that you don’t need a lot to have a comfortable life. Because of this, I can rely on my part time job to support myself while I can put time and energy into my side-hustle without too much financial worry.
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about starting a side hustle in Germany?
A general advice for anyone starting would be: don’t be afraid to start small. If you are based in Germany, I strongly advise you to find a “Gründungsberatung”. Learning the language makes things easier, since there are more free resources in German, like the Gründerplattform.