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External challenges and uncertainties are unavoidable for the majority of businesses during their life cycle, some even affecting an entire business environment and demanding operational and strategic change. These situations are especially associated with moments of unprecedented uncertainties because of their unexperienced characteristics, and thereby, little to no existing preset navigation guidelines. Recent unprecedented uncertainties, like COVID-19, presents the fragile foundation of many businesses, particularly in the service sector. Additionally, small and medium-sized enterprises are also vulnerable during unprecedented uncertainties because of their limited resources and operational stability. Even though turbulent times presents threats, it can also pose unique opportunities for growth, if the companies are strategically prepared to adapt. This can be done by the utilization of Strategic Entrepreneurship, balancing opportunity- and advantage-seeking activities, taking advantage of the current strengths of the business and at the same time exploring new innovations. The study’s purpose is to offer insights on how such a balance not only supports adaptability in the face of unprecedented uncertainty, but how it also can serve as a proactive approach for building resilience and preparedness. To address the study's purpose, the research question is stated as follows:

• How do small and medium-sized enterprises in the service sector utilize Strategic Entrepreneurship during moments of unprecedented uncertainty?

The research is conducted through an abductive approach in which the empirical data were gathered by semi-structured interviews. In total, five interviews were conducted with strategic employees from service SMEs in Sweden. The goal was to collect the respondents' experiences of the company's strategic activities relating to Strategic Entrepreneurship during unprecedented uncertainty. Furthermore, a thematic analysis was made to find similarities and differences between the respondents' actions, as well as connections with the conceptual model. These connections resulted in subthemes complementing the main themes, which are presented together in the empirical analysis chapter.

Findings of the study confirm that service SMEs do engage in both opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking activities. However, they are not simultaneously used by all respondents, instead the balance depends on organizational context and other external conditions, meaning that they do not utilize SE consistently. Incorporating a consistent balance between the activities is essential for service SMEs resilience during unprecedented uncertainty and long-term success. The study’s findings show that some companies are rather reactive than proactive in their utilization of SE during moments of unprecedented uncertainty, resulting in lack of preparedness and thereby minimizing their coping ability. Furthermore, the findings of the study challenge the foundational literature of SE and suggest that a temporal dimension needs to be integrated within the field of SE.