Bradley Bottoset, The Liberty Group, LLC

WHEN BRADLEY BOTTOSET STARTED HIS BUSINESS BROKERAGE, Liberty Group of Nevada, he faced battles on multiple fronts: Not only did he need to build a client base that ultimately would lead to solvency and success, but he also needed to educate his prospective clients about the function of a business brokerage and dispel many longstanding conceptions about his business. Conceptions that he says were well earned.

But instead of dissuading clients from engaging their own advisors — like many in his industry do — Bottoset and his team encourage it. They also buck the sales paradigm of “anything to make a deal,” instead focusing on matching experienced and first-time business buyers with the best options for their futures. “We firmly believe that an informed client will be a satisfied client,” says Bottoset.

The results: Bottoset says his brokerage has more businesses in its portfolio (65 at press time) than all other local brokerages combined. And his reach is international in scope, as his brokerage closed escrow last year on a transaction with a buyer from Chile and in the past few months had a buyer from England make an offer on a Reno business.