Are individual “bonds” suitable for individual investors?
I don't think so
Debt instruments such as notes and bonds are often priced in units of $100 and sold directly in units of $1000 due at “maturity,” a key word that implies that these investments are often suggested as “fixed income” investments for elderly people. But not all bonds are investment grade.
The bond markets are institutional only. Otherwise, if you are an individual investor in bonds, there are debtors who owe you money, and it's personal, and quite possibly up to you to collect. Maybe you “work” in one of those life insurance towers, but you probably don't “live” there.
As an outsider to such markets, I'm not really certain what arrangements are in place for “collecting” on corporate debts when the interest and principal payments come due.
I'm not “in the business” of commercial debt collections, …
A few places where bonds are traded:
What's with the “buy-side” terminology? You're not “buying” anything on the bond market. You're either lending or borrowing.