This paper examines the crisis characteristics of the contemporary business environment and their impact on small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. It can be divided into two parts: the theoretical part in which the problems of business environment of companies in crises will be presented and introduced, and the empirical part which analyzes the research on crisis management in small and medium-sized enterprises. This paper provides insight into how pandemic, environmental, and energy crises affect businesses, what business challenges exist in achieving sustainability, and how green transition can offer innovative opportunities for business enhancement. The recent pandemic crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus has brought about numerous changes and necessitated adaptations to business operations that companies had not faced before. In order to survive the significant pandemic crisis intertwined with global environmental crises, companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, had to adapt in various ways to endure. Crises, apart from affecting business, also trigger societal changes that companies, employers, and employees must recognize, analyze, and implement into their work environment. The paper presents and analyzes research findings on the operations of small and medium-sized enterprises during the pandemic and how they are adapting to the contemporary business environment.