A Scottish businessman is aiming to help small firms in and around Glasgow secure vital funding .
Iain Carmichael, from Uddingston, is joining forces with an Glasgow-based company DSL Business Finance, a non-profit organisation who provide access to a £1.5m loan fund to small businesses that struggle to secure finance from the banks .
Mr Carmichael will join DSLs Dragons Den style panel of experts in listening to small firms pitch their business ideas and deciding whether they should have their loan application approved.
The DSL panel approved around £1 million of applications during the 2008/2009 financial year, up from just £277,000 the previous year.
Commenting on his new role, Mr Carmichael said: "I am delighted to be joining the DSL board and panel. DSL can really make a difference to peoples lives and the national economy."
"Giving a loan to a small business can mean the difference between the firm succeeding or going bust."
Mr Carmichael, who is also a qualified chartered accountant, previously held a number of senior roles at Scottish Enterprise between 1991 and 2007, including chief executive of Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, formerly Lanarkshire Development Agency .
During his time there, the 57 year-old led the regeneration of Lanarkshire following the decline of traditional industries and the closure of Ravenscraig Steelworks.




