If you constantly carry around a laptop, cell phone, or USB drive, be sure to put your contact information somewhere on it in the event it gets lost. Of course some people are less than honest, but if the right person picks it up, you want to make sure they can easily get in contact with you.

Here are a few ideas on how to mark your equipment:

Laptop: Tape a business card or piece of paper to the bottom of the laptop with your information. Make sure you use clear and heavy duty tape (like packing tape) so it can handle the daily use.

Cell Phone: Make an entry on your phone book for “Return To” which is your home number.

USB Drive: Save a text file on it labeled “If found, please return to me.txt” which contains your contact info. (Thanks to Greg Andrews from Schaumburg, IL)

Of course you can be creative when finding an effective way to label your equipment. This can end up saving lots of time, money, and hassle.