There are a few choices....
GMAIL Label Notifier
GMAIL Unread Counter
SMS Unread counter
etc..
All those apps allow you to create icons on the desktop that will jump you to an account. Some will even allow you to jump directly to a LABEL in an account. Also, they will give you the ability to visually see how many unread items you have.
I am currently using Gmail Label Notifier and really like it. It is a paid app, but very cheap and worth it. Gmail Unread Counter is free and also very good.
Hope this helps.