Garage sale shopping is not my thing. I love a bargain, but getting a quality item from a garage sale can take a good deal of effort. Likewise, holding a successful garage sale takes effort and, believe it or not, marketing.

I was asked to go to some garage sales yesterday and reluctantly agreed. A whole community was offering garage sales at homes throughout the winding streets and seemingly countless cul-de-sacs. I wondered how in the world residents manage to find their ways in and out of the development, let alone one-time visitors to their sales.

Upon entering the community, there was a large, neon green sign that said "Garage Sale" and gave an address, clearly printed. At the next intersection, there was another large, neon green sign that simply had a black arrow pointing straight ahead. A few blocks later, the same arrow appeared on the same green poster board, directing sale-seekers to turn left. The garage sale was at the end of that street.

While we were visiting this garage sale, two people commented to the owner that they were happy to have those signs directing them. This owner branded his sale with his neon green signage—standing out from the few other, smaller white signs around the neighborhood—and made it easy for potential customers to find him. It turns out branding—using the same name, logo, tagline, or colors to identify your business's or organization's goods and services—works for everyone from business giants all the way down to the once-a-year garage sale hosts.