About Carlos Torres

Carlos Torres is the founder and CEO of T.A.G. Business Funding (Towers Asset Group LLC), a minority-owned alternative lending broker headquartered in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Since founding the company in 2020, Carlos has helped hundreds of small business owners across 48 states secure working capital when traditional banks declined to help.

Carlos built T.A.G. with a specific mission: to serve businesses that fall through the cracks of the traditional banking system. His clients are restaurant owners, contractors, truckers, retailers, and service businesses — companies with strong revenue, loyal customers, and real value — that can't satisfy a bank's requirements for two years of financials, high credit scores, or extensive collateral.

His work sits at the intersection of alternative lending, financial inclusion, and small business advocacy. He works with 40+ funding partners to present clients with competitive options across merchant cash advances, business lines of credit, SBA bridge financing, and equipment financing. His approach is consultative: he believes business owners deserve to understand exactly what they're signing, including the true cost and structure of any funding offer.

Carlos is a recognized voice on the merchant cash advance industry — a $20.3 billion market that funds more small businesses annually than community banks, yet remains widely misunderstood by both borrowers and financial journalists. He has authored multiple industry research publications, including the MCA Market Report 2026, the Small Business Funding Gap Report 2026, and the MCA Factor Rate Study — free resources cited by journalists, business owners, and financial educators.

As a minority business owner, Carlos brings a perspective on capital access that is underrepresented in mainstream financial media. He is available to comment on lending discrimination data, bank denial rates for minority-owned businesses, and the role alternative finance plays in closing the capital access gap.

T.A.G. operates as a licensed broker, not a direct lender. The company charges no upfront fees and earns compensation only when a funding offer is accepted by a client.

Expert Commentary Topics

The Bank Denial Epidemic
Only 13.8% of small business loan applications at large banks are approved. Carlos explains what happens to the other 86.2% and why alternative finance fills the gap.
MCA Factor Rates Explained
Why factor rates aren't APR, when MCAs make sense vs. when they don't, and how to calculate the true cost of a merchant cash advance.
Minority Business Lending Gap
Black-owned businesses are denied at more than twice the rate of white-owned businesses with identical profiles. What's driving this and what founders can do about it.
Cash Flow: The #1 Small Business Killer
82% of small business failures involve cash flow problems. How small business owners can identify cash flow risk early and what funding tools are designed for cash flow gaps.
What the SBA Won't Tell You
SBA loans take 60–90 days on average. For a business with a payroll emergency, that's three months too late. How to use SBA and alternative lending together.
The MCA Industry's Transparency Problem
Disclosure standards for merchant cash advances lag far behind traditional lending. What reform looks like and how business owners can protect themselves today.

Research & Publications

All publications are free to access and cite. Research is available under Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0). See the press room for citation guidance.

Media Contact

Available for expert commentary, source quotes, podcast interviews, and panel participation on small business finance topics.

Areas of Expertise

  • Merchant Cash Advances
  • Alternative Business Lending
  • MCA Factor Rate Analysis
  • Small Business Capital Access
  • Minority Business Financing
  • Restaurant Industry Financing
  • Trucking & Transportation Funding
  • Construction Business Capital
  • Working Capital Management
  • Business Credit Building
  • Cash Flow Crisis Management
  • SBA vs. Alternative Lending
"A profitable business should never go under because a bank said no. That's the gap we exist to fill."
— Carlos Torres, Founder & CEO

Company Fast Facts

  • Founded 2020
  • HQ Chagrin Falls, OH
  • Coverage 48 US States
  • Partners 40+ Funding Partners
  • Min FICO 500
  • Range $10K – $2M
  • Speed 24–72 hour funding
  • Ownership Minority-owned

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50-word bio: Carlos Torres is the founder and CEO of T.A.G. Business Funding, a minority-owned alternative lending broker in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He specializes in merchant cash advances, alternative business financing, and capital access for small businesses declined by traditional banks. His research and resources are available free at funding.towersassetgroup.com.
100-word bio: Carlos Torres is the founder and CEO of T.A.G. Business Funding (Towers Asset Group LLC), a minority-owned alternative lending broker headquartered in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Since 2020, he has helped small business owners in 48 states access working capital through a network of 40+ funding partners. He specializes in merchant cash advances, alternative business lending, and capital access for entrepreneurs underserved by the traditional banking system. He has published the MCA Market Report 2026, Small Business Funding Gap Report, Small Business Statistics 2026, and the MCA Factor Rate Study — all freely available at funding.towersassetgroup.com.