PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -- The coronavirus pandemic has left many small business owners struggling for their livelihoods.

About a week ago, they started applying for $349 billion in Small Business Administration "Paycheck Protection Plan" loans that are being made available as part of a relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Trump.

However, the loan applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and lenders were swamped with applications the day the program opened.

Some lenders didn't accept applications immediately because they needed technical help from the Treasury Department and the SBA. The SBA's electronic system also had glitches and there is still confusion about some of the rules.

In spite of that, local lenders said they are making progress.

"You know, we certainly retooled very quickly to ramp up for this type of volume," said Jennifer Galley, Chief Operations Officer with Achieva Credit Union. "It was unprecedented with any product roll-out we've ever seen."

She said Achieva has processed about 185 loans, totaling about $5 million, most of that going to businesses in the Tampa Bay Area and West Florida. 

"And I know that the people that are still waiting for us to give them a call or process their application are sitting on pins and needles and we are working to expedite that process," she said.

Mike Dodaro, who owns Mike's Pizza and Deli Station in Clearwater, said he's a lesson in persistence.

He found out his primary bank had reached its cap so he applied with a different lender.

He's been notified his application is being processed and moving forward. Dodaro said he's hopeful it will be approved.

"We're a small business, family-owned and I think they're looking out for us," he said. "You know at first we thought it would be easy, then we thought it wasn't going to happen, but now I think that it (came) together pretty quickly and it's going to happen."

Dodaro said his goal is to keep paying his employees until business picks up.

"We're in the game and we're staying in the game," he said.