Startups move fast. Most of the time, the focus is on growth, product development, or trying to close the next big deal. But one area that often gets overlooked—until it becomes a problem—is tracking physical assets.
Yes, we’re talking about those laptops, printers, and monitors—but also the boxes of banners in the closet, the demo products you keep lending out, or even the portable charger kits your sales team fights over.
The common assumption is that asset tracking is only for IT departments or big businesses. But that mindset is exactly what causes small teams to lose time, money, and sometimes trust. Especially in early-stage companies where roles are fluid and resources are tight, knowing exactly what you own and where it is matters more than you think.
In fact, the right asset stickers and label systems can be a surprisingly powerful tool for startups—far beyond just tech equipment. And the good news? You don’t need enterprise software or a dedicated operations manager to start using them smartly.
Let’s unpack some overlooked places where asset labeling makes a real impact.
1. Event Kits, Swag, and Trade Show Gear
You’d be shocked how often companies lose things like pop-up banners, branded tablecloths, display stands, and sample kits simply because they weren’t labeled. Trade shows and pop-ups are chaotic by nature. In the shuffle of setup, takedown, and transport—especially across team members or locations—it’s easy for gear to go missing.
A simple label with a company name, QR code, or serial number can:
Discourage accidental theft
Speed up post-event packing
Make return processes smoother (especially with shared gear)
Help you track usage across events
For startups doing five or more shows a year, those minor losses start to add up—not just in cost, but also in missed marketing opportunities.
Pro tip: Create a master kit list and label every item in that kit. When something goes missing, you’ll know exactly what and when.
2. Product Samples and Demo Units
Many startups—especially in product or hardware spaces—regularly ship out demo units to journalists, influencers, or investors. But without a tracking system, you’re relying on someone’s memory to know where those units went and whether they’re coming back.
Labeled samples give you a lightweight tracking solution. Even a basic spreadsheet becomes powerful when each item has a unique tag or QR label attached to it.
Some teams even mark their demo products with “non-retail” asset tags to prevent resale, loss, or confusion with regular inventory. It’s a small detail, but it signals professionalism—and gives your product team fewer headaches when it’s time to tally stock.
3. Internal Creative Assets
Let’s talk about the gear that fuels your content machine. Cameras, lighting rigs, microphones, green screens—all expensive, all mobile, and all incredibly easy to misplace if you’re running photo or video shoots across locations.
Creative teams often work on tight timelines and need to grab gear and go. Without clear labeling, someone inevitably walks off with the last tripod or loses track of which SD cards are in use.
By using asset labels here, you get:
Instant gear check-in/check-out accountability
Faster troubleshooting when something breaks
Fewer disputes over who lost what
It also keeps freelancers or contractors honest when using company equipment.
4. Shared Office Supplies and Tech Accessories
Ever had a team fight break out over missing HDMI cables? You’re not alone.
Startups love open-plan, hot-desk-style offices, which means things like keyboards, chargers, adapters, and even ergonomic chairs end up being passed around. Without labels, ownership gets fuzzy—and replacement costs sneak in.
Labeling these shared items might feel excessive, but it’s incredibly effective. Even just marking them with department initials or an asset code makes people more careful. And if you use a digital tracker, you can spot when you’re constantly re-buying the same $25 item every quarter.
It’s not just about cost—it’s about making your space run more smoothly.
5. Warehouse and Storage Overflow
Startups that sell physical goods often rent external storage or operate from a small warehouse space. Over time, these spots become dumping grounds for half-used signage, unsorted returns, and random one-off items.
Without labels, boxes blend into one another. You forget what’s what. Inventory gets buried. And someone inevitably orders something you already have.
Properly labeling:
Storage bins
Overflow inventory
Non-sellable returns
Seasonal displays
…saves teams hours during quarterly cleanouts. It also helps when onboarding new ops staff or warehouse help who weren’t around when things were first packed.
6. Remote Employee Kits and Home Office Gear
With distributed workforces, more companies are shipping monitors, chairs, webcams, and other gear to remote team members. But if you’re not labeling or logging these items, you’re essentially giving them away.
A basic asset label helps you:
Track which team member received what
Simplify return logistics when offboarding
Stay audit-ready for insurance or compliance
Some startups even include asset tag return instructions in their onboarding/offboarding emails, which helps normalize the practice.
7. Toolkits for Field Teams or Install Crews
If you’re a startup in IoT, telecom, field service, or anything hands-on, your teams are probably taking toolkits into client sites. Drills, testers, cables, routers—it’s expensive stuff.
Labeling tool components individually might sound like overkill. But when you’ve got multiple crews, spread across locations, that detail can save hundreds—if not thousands—in lost gear annually.
One startup doing Wi-Fi installs saved over £2,000 in a single quarter just by labeling every cable in their van kits. People tend to take better care of things when they’re clearly marked as company-owned.
8. Prototypes and R&D Materials
Hardware startups or design teams often juggle multiple prototype versions of a product. One gets user-tested, one goes to engineering, one stays with the founders. But without clear labeling, it’s easy to get mixed up—or worse, accidentally send the wrong version to a client or investor.
Using asset stickers here isn’t just about tracking—it’s about preventing brand-damaging mistakes.
Marking version numbers, build dates, or component changes directly on prototypes helps everyone stay aligned—especially in fast iterations.
9. Temporary Rentals and Third-Party Equipment
Sometimes you borrow gear—from freelancers, partner companies, or rented services. The moment it enters your office or studio, label it.
Even if it’s not yours permanently, treating it like part of your inventory (with a distinct label noting it’s rented) keeps everyone aware. It also helps track return deadlines and reduces the chance of losing borrowed items in your own system.
It’s a good-faith gesture that shows responsibility—something that partners and vendors remember.
10. The Little Stuff You Don’t Think About… Until It’s Gone
We’re talking branded clickers for presentations. QR code signs for pop-ups. Hard drives. Specialty tools. Anything that costs more than £20 and doesn’t stay put.
Over time, those minor losses compound. When teams are busy and distributed, it’s these untracked items that create friction and waste.
Just because something’s not expensive doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. A cheap item becomes costly when you have to replace it every month.
Final Thoughts: Small Labels, Big Impact
If your startup has more than five people, chances are you already need a lightweight asset management plan. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A spreadsheet, a simple numbering system, and consistent use of labels are often enough to make a noticeable difference.
And no, you don’t need to label every coffee mug or post-it pad. But when it comes to anything that:
Moves between people or places
Is reused at events or demos
Costs more than £20 to replace
Is tied to brand perception or sales success
…slapping a small label on it can save you far more than it costs.
Good systems scale. If you build asset accountability into your team culture early, you won’t be scrambling to retrofit it later when you’re bigger—and busier.
Read more:
Not Just for IT: Surprising Places Asset Labels Save Startups Time and Money
