WESTMINSTER coalition minister Jo Swinson has called for more entrepreneurial women to take advantage of a "speed mentoring" scheme.

The East Dunbartonshire MP and business minister is championing a series of events across the UK, including in Glasgow, that give women an opportunity to pitch their companies to established entrepreneurs in the search for a mentor.

The "Meet a Mentor" scheme is funded by the Government Equalities Office and run by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE).

Ms Swinson said: "More than a fifth of Scottish SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are majority-owned by women and they contribute more than £5 billion to the Scottish economy.

"Impressively, over 80% of them have ambitions to grow their businesses over the next couple of years. We want even more women to join them.

"Mentoring is key to this. It helps to build confidence, develop key business skills and provides a network of contacts for those starting out or seeking to expand their business."

Ruth Lowbridge, executive chairwoman of IOEE, said: "Businesses that have the support of a mentor have been shown to be more likely to grow their workforce and increase their turnover when compared to non-mentored businesses.

"Running your own business can be extremely isolating but a mentor can act as a valuable sounding board and be someone that you can turn to for clarity on your ideas."