Can I advertise my business, my online store, or post my store's items?

VarageSale is a platform that was created for personal member to member garage sale type transactions. Although it was not created for businesses, the Small Business Directory was created as a courtesy for our members to post information about their small businesses. All communities have special guidelines for those members who might want to post about their business to help ensure the focus of the communities remains on the primary goal of connecting members for garage sale type transactions. The general platform guidelines are as follows, and you can check with your community's specific rules regarding additional guidelines.

Ads or links directly to a business website or page are typically allowed in the Small Business Directory, and may be allowed in other places, according to the rules of your specific community. Links to any other buy/sell service or platform are not allowed on any listing. This includes a photo album linked from another site, links to a neighborhood buy/sell group or site, or links to online auction site listings. Sending unsolicited messages to members is also not allowed, as per the VarageSale terms of service.

Whether you can post links or items for your business in any place other than the Small Business directory depends on the rules of your specific community, and is determined by the admins of your local community. Please refer to your community's rules or reach out to your admin to ask. Click here for how to find your community's rules.

Here are some examples to help illustrate:

1 - Jane sells handmade knitted hats. She has many items listed on an online crafty buy/sell site. She also has a social media page with information on her business.

She can post her business details with a link to her social media page in the Small Business Directory
She cannot post a link to her online crafty buy/sell site store
She can post her specific knitted items in her VarageSale community (subject to the rules specific to that community)

2 - Joe has a lot of stuff to sell that he has purchased to sell to others. He has many items listed in a photo album on a social media site.

Joe can list his items on VarageSale (subject to the rules specific to that community)
Joe cannot link back to his photo album on a social media site

3 - John owns a pawn shop or other storefront business. He has a lot of stuff to sell. He has a social media page, he posts in local buy/sell groups, and he has a website for his business.

He can post his business details with a link to his social media page in the Small Business Directory
He can check with his community admins to determine whether they allow businesses to post in other categories
He cannot post links from other platforms on VarageSale, but can share his Small Business Directory post to other platforms, based on the guidelines for those platforms.

4 - Jack is a business owner and wants to get the word out about his business.

Jack can post his business details with links to his social media page or website in the Small Business Directory
He can check with his community admins to determine whether they allow businesses to post in other categories
He cannot send unsolicited messages to other members advertising his business - this is considered SPAM and not allowed