Private equity investing no longer just for the rich

IF YOU are a white-collar professional dismayed after years of hard work clocking 15-hour days, six days a week, you might start to wonder what the most effective way to manage your personal investment portfolio is - and the answer might be a lot more accessible than you think.

Traditionally, privately owned businesses running the gamut from consumer retail to hardware, production and agricultural companies have been overlooked by venture capital firms and the majority of investors.

However, newfound access to professionally managed funds that combine online investment platforms with traditional private equity funds have the potential to dramatically change the scene.