When banks lend money to small businesses, it is not unusual for them to ask for something as collateral: an item of value that the bank can sell to recoup its losses if the borrower fails to repay the loan. Common forms of collateral are assets,such as buildings,equipment or vehicles.More unusual items can sometimes be used.You may have heard of Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice,in which a merchant called Antonio is persuaded to offer a pound of his own flesh as collateral for a business loan from Shylock the moneylender.Antonio defaults on the loan and only of Antonio's flesh,but not a single drop of his blood.