Small business owners have historically relied on personal assets as an important source of support for their enterprises — from the aspiring restaurant owner relying on personal savings to the toy distributor using a line of credit secured by her home. However, the recent bursting of the credit bubble has led to a plunge in values across most asset categories. Consider the following: according to the Case Schiller Index, national housing values have dropped 32% from their peak in 2006 to the first quarter of 2009; the Dow Jones Index has dropped 29% in value since its peak of 14,093 points the week of October 8, 2007.