Category: Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on small businesses across the globe. As mass vaccination campaigns start to gain ground, the time has come to think about post-pandemic business recovery.

For many small businesses, however, the journey towards a full recovery won’t be easy. 

According to a report by Yelp, more than 97,966 businesses have permanently shut their doors due to the pandemic. Many more, without a doubt, are struggling to remain operational. 

Adapting to the new ways of a post-pandemic world might be a difficult challenge ahead and you might not be able to restore your company to what it once was for a long while. But there are ways that will guarantee a full recovery from such a major crisis. 

Here’s how you can come out stronger in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic:

Business owners are reeling from the pandemic’s effects on their bottom line. From a reduction in sales income to staying current on utility bills and rent, small businesses will need to keep their finances under control in the face of uncertainty.

There’s no better time than now to consider the costs of services and products of your company and decide which ones are essential enough to keep. You can choose to discard or downsize certain campaigns or assets.

At any rate, you need to start coming up with budget strategies for the new normal if you want to reserve enough resources to finance business recovery. 

 

Focusing on the needs of existing customers can help you stay afloat, especially when market activity remains low as a result of the economic fallout from the pandemic. 

Then again, current clients may have reservations about remaining with your business. You can keep their minds free of these doubts by simply reaching out to them using exclusive offers. 

You just have to tweak your messaging in a way that engages your audience at a more personal and emotional level. For this, it pays to listen closely to feedback.

 

Of course, you also shouldn’t make any hasty decisions and false promises to your current clients. 

After all, business recovery is a process that doesn’t happen overnight. It involves looking at all possible angles and paths.  

Keep a level head when deciding what offers or services you can give out to your customers at this time. Also, consider your business’s own well-being and what it’s still capable of in the aftermath of the pandemic.

For this, you need to be in constant communication with employees and outsourcing partners. You need to lay down your expectations and create a list of options. From there, you can decide which action would best align with your objectives. 

For more about strategic decision-making, check out our blog on the importance of effective business leadership skills during a crisis. 

 

The pandemic took everyone by surprise and left many unsure or even afraid of the future.

But your business is still standing and that alone is a good sign that a recovery is possible. You only need to reconfigure your long-term goals so that they fit post-Covid realities. 

Be realistic and opt for goals and targets that you think your business has a better chance of achieving. 

At any rate, you may find yourself starting from scratch with only a handful of employees to help you get started on the road towards business recovery. If that’s the case, you can always outsource both core and non-core tasks to a team of virtual assistants. 

 

From handling administrative work to marketing your products and services, no task is too daunting for a virtual assistant service that’s dedicated to restoring your business. 

Get started with OneVirtual Global Business Solutions. Schedule a free no-obligation consultation with us. Click here.

You might think that your inbound marketing strategy is already perfect as it is, but there will always be room for improvement. 

In case you don’t have one, an inbound marketing campaign helps you become visible to customers who are looking for the kinds of products or services you are selling.

Unlike traditional advertising and outbound marketing where you deliver messages straight to potential customers, inbound marketing is all about getting people to find you. 

It’s not as easy as it sounds if you are competing with other brands that already have a strong presence online. 

Nonetheless, you can still capture a greater share of the market. You just need to improve your inbound marketing strategy using the following tips:

 

Landing pages play a big role in capturing leads. They are also great for promoting special offers and getting people to sign up for a newsletter or a webinar.

If they don’t perform well in converting visitors, your landing pages could put your inbound efforts to waste. 

With that being said, you need to spend time testing out different versions of your landing pages before launching.

At any rate, you need to focus on optimizing your landing pages from your audience’s perspective. 

Do they present the most important information clearly? Does it look cluttered with all the graphics and photos you put in? 

The key to building highly converting landing pages is simplification. Less is always best, so opt for minimal words and visuals in order to keep your prospects engaged. 

 

It’s not enough to simply exist on Twitter or Facebook. You also need to put more time and effort into building a compelling presence on these platforms. 

You just need to create content that resonates with the needs of your audience. Begin by identifying pain points and showing what your brand can do to address them. 

Don’t go for the hard sell. Remember: Your inbound marketing strategy is all about giving your audience a good enough reason to find out more about you.

For this, try to identify what matters the most to your audience and publish content about these specific issues or topics across all of social media. 

Be sure to include appropriate hashtags and schedule your postings on the best times for gaining optimal exposure.

Read more about getting more customers for your e-commerce business using social media. Click here.

SEO or search engine optimization is vital for improving your brand’s online visibility. 

After all, the best customers are those who are searching for your products or services using Google. You just need to position your brand at the top of the search results. 

To do this, simply use tools such as Yoast when writing content such as blogs. You also need to add keywords that people search for the most. 

Apart from creating search-optimized content, you also need to improve your website’s performance by reducing the loading speed and using a more straightforward layout.

There’s a lot that goes into SEO, so you might as well get professional help with creating content, improving your website’s appearance, and looking for better ways to deliver excellent customer experiences. 

For more about ranking high in the search results, check out this guide.

CTAs or calls-to-action nudge your audience towards engaging your brand. 

Simple phrases such as “Download now” or “Get your free trial today” can go a long way when encouraging people who have just encountered your brand for the first time. 

However, you need to place your CTAs well in every piece of content you produce. For email newsletters, consider placing CTA buttons near the top. 

Your web pages should also have CTAs at the top, bottom, or sidebar. 

Make sure not to overdo your CTAs. To be sure, consider running an A/B test to determine the best place for adding buttons. 

Your inbound marketing strategy won’t be complete without knowing these basics. But in case you lack a team that handles all your inbound efforts, consider hiring a team of digital marketing VAs for your campaign. 

With more than seven years of providing top-notch SEO, digital marketing, and web development services, you can trust OneVirtual Global Business Solutions to position your brand front and center. 

Schedule a no-obligation consultation to get started. Click here.

This year is the perfect time to improve your online marketing efforts. As you do so, however, there is always a good chance of committing digital marketing mistakes that could hurt your sales numbers. 

Come to think of it, no digital marketing plan is perfect. At times, what you might think is a solid strategy may crumble under certain conditions. 

The business landscape is constantly changing. With this in mind, you should have a good idea of what to avoid as you plan and implement your promotional campaign. 

Here are a few digital marketing mistakes to divert from:

 

For this year, you need to think long-term when it comes to your digital marketing. It’s okay to set ambitious goals, so long as these align with current situations. 

Not only do you need to create goals that lie within the scope of your budget, existing skills, and resources, current trends should also be factored into your marketing efforts as well. Otherwise, you might be wasting time and resources on objectives that deliver minimal value.

 

Blogging is still an integral part of your digital marketing arsenal. In fact, Hubspot considers blogging as the third most common marketing strategy after video and ebooks. 

With that being said, not having a blog on your website diminishes the effectiveness of your content strategy. After all, much of the content you share on social media takes the form of blogs that discuss certain topics that your market cares about. 

Although creating quality blog content is time-intensive, it can boost your online presence and generate interest among sure-fire buyers. You just need to create a great list of relevant and high-value keywords and develop content that addresses your audience’s pain points.

Need help with positioning your brand front and center through blogging? Read about getting creative support from a team of digital marketing virtual assistants.  

 

Apart from your blog, you also need to build a presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Indeed, not investing enough in your social presence is one of the most critical digital marketing mistakes you need to avoid. It’s not just because everyone is doing it, but promoting your business through social media has become essential. In fact, according to Small Biz Trends, more than 79% of small businesses are investing in social media marketing in 2019. 

In this day and age when the mobile penetration rate is on an uptrend, your business should put its best foot forward when it comes to building your social media presence.

 

There’s no shame in admitting that you might not have the experience or the manpower needed to juggle all your marketing tasks.

With the amount of time and resources that are involved in building a digital marketing campaign, you are in the best position to delegate essential marketing tasks to a team of digital marketers. 

From writing blogs for your niche to managing a marketing campaign spanning multiple channels, virtual assistants can do what is necessary to help you improve your brand’s online presence. 

A sure-fire way to avoid committing any of these digital marketing mistakes is to entrust your campaign to the right solutions provider. 

 

For the past seven years, OneVirtual Global Business Solutions has helped companies realize their brand-building and online marketing goals using a no-nonsense approach to content creation.

Put your business in the right position this year. Get started by scheduling a no-obligation consultation with us! 

Right now, everyone is jumping on the e-commerce wagon in order to survive the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Competition will only get intense from there and you may need to build a new e-commerce website or consider a complete overhaul. 

You wouldn’t want to settle with an e-commerce website that performs poorly in all aspects. At any rate, it’s important to stay current on the needs and expectations of your customers. 

Not sure if you need a new e-commerce website for your business? Here are a few signs you might want to check out:

How accessible is your e-commerce website to your visitors? 

User experience is crucial to your business’s online presence. In fact, over 75% of users base the credibility of a business on the responsiveness and accessibility of its website, among others. 

If people have a hard time accessing your website, then you might want to step back and know what to improve in your UX.  

Is your website optimized for mobile users? Can it be accessed by those who have difficulty using a keyboard? If your e-commerce website doesn’t match up to competitors in terms of accessibility, then an overhaul is in order.

Know how to impress potential customers here.

 

Apart from being accessible, you need an e-commerce website that’s easy to navigate. 

An intuitive UI is one that enables visitors to interact with content seamlessly. For this, you will need to properly group products into categories and subcategories. 

On top of that, your e-commerce website needs a search bar and informative content that won’t end up cluttering the user interface.  

In case you are seeing insanely high bounce rates, opt to clean up your webpages or (better yet) select a different theme or layout.

 

One absolute sign that your website could be falling apart is an unresponsive UI and slow loading times. 

Loading speeds matter a lot to search engines like Google. The reason for this is that users are more likely to leave a website if it takes more than two seconds to fully load. 

You can get around this by compressing images and getting rid of plugins that you don’t actually need. 

In addition, you need to make sure your website is mobile responsive. As more and more people use mobile phones for transactions, you will need to redesign your website so that it adapts to different screen sizes.

 

If you cannot keep up with maintaining your e-commerce website, then the time has come to replace it entirely.

After all, website development does not end with a launch. It’s a recurring process across several areas, especially search engine optimization or SEO, cybersecurity, and performance. 

You will need to spend a great deal of time and resources to ensure peak performance. If that’s the case, you might want to hire a team of web development virtual assistants to help you with the technicalities.

You can also choose to build a new e-commerce website, although this would still require the services of an experienced web development team. 

Learn why a team of virtual assistants is definitely worth hiring. 

 

You might not have the tools and experience to upgrade your e-commerce website. But considering how fast the industry is going, keeping your online presence up-to-date puts you on the right track. 

It’s only a matter of getting professional help when it comes to polishing your website or building a new one that aligns with your goals. 

Get started with OneVirtual Global Business Solutions today! 

Let us know your web development and web design needs by clicking here.

It is no question that the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted real estate markets in the United States. 

The initial months of the pandemic saw an uptick in the unemployment rate and the volume of mortgage forbearances. 

Despite these effects, experts remain optimistic that real estate transactions will begin picking up as mass vaccination programs cover more ground. 

As a result, competing for more clients will only get more intense. People who delayed their real estate goals last year are finally getting around to accomplishing them this year.   

Realtors will need to take this time to observe and jump on the trends that can help position them front and center.

Here are the most important real estate marketing trends you will need to leverage in 2021. 

 

With social distancing measures still in place, open houses and home tours are restricted in certain states or areas. 

In order to help out home buyers without putting them at risk, realtors are using virtual home tours in place of in-person visits. 

Advancements in virtual imaging technology such as augmented reality and 360-degree videos and images enable realtors to provide immersive experiences to clients. 

And given the immense potential of virtual tours when it comes to generating leads and retaining potential clients, realtors are putting more time and effort into using virtual tours as their main selling point. 

 

The pandemic has caused the mobile penetration rate (or the number of mobile users) to rise. 

In turn, this has increased people’s reliance on social media when it comes to consuming information, connecting with other people, and, more importantly, buying products and services. 

With that being said, real estate brokers and agents who haven’t done social media marketing yet should start building their presence on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

While time-intensive, social media marketing costs less than traditional marketing approaches. Not only that, but a social media campaign also helps improve your brand presence and your ability to attract high-quality real estate leads. 

 

Along with social media, video marketing is one of the most important real estate marketing trends to explore. 

Working in tandem with virtual tours, videos of homes and neighborhoods can add authority to your brand and help clients make decisions without the need for face-to-face interactions. 

Apart from promoting property listings, videos can also help with client education. You can use videos to explain topics such as home financing and due diligence. 

Another powerful approach to real estate video marketing is using testimonials from past clients. This adds social proof to your brand and positions your brand as a trustworthy partner.

 

Email marketing remains to be an essential component in generating and nurturing real estate leads. 

As buyers and sellers rely more on new technology to accomplish their goals, agents and brokers will need to engage potential clients at a deeper level. 

Sending emails that discuss topics relating to the current state of the real estate market can make an impact on the decisions of potential clients and, therefore, help position your brand as an authoritative voice.

It is only a matter of using marketing automation software that allows you to segment your audience and create personalized emails that cater to the needs of different customers. 

To make sure that your company or brand properly leverages these real estate marketing trends, you might want to consider getting creative and technical support.

Hire a team of digital marketing virtual assistants today so you can put your marketing campaign on the right track throughout the rest of the year! 

Schedule a consultation with OneVirtual Global Business Solutions. Click here to get started.

Hiring the best virtual assistant is crucial at this moment. The business landscape is evolving rapidly and business owners will need to keep up by expanding to new markets and developing better products and services.

Considering the amount of work that is involved, some businesses would choose to outsource some of their workloads to virtual assistants. 

From social media management to customer service, virtual assistants can handle a long list of essential tasks. This allows you to concentrate on developing new business strategies and finding valuable growth opportunities. 

It’s only a question of identifying the best virtual assistant to handle your campaigns, projects, and repetitive back-office tasks.  

Here are a few tips to help you in this process:

 

From the outset, you should be able to list down the tasks that you need help with. You would be fortunate enough to find a “super VA” who can handle almost everything, but it’s still best to focus on getting the right person for priority tasks.

For example, if you want the best virtual assistant to help out with your digital marketing campaign, you can look for a VA who has experience with social media marketing, copywriting, and graphic design. In case you need someone to respond to client inquiries and resolve disputes or errors, consider hiring a virtual assistant with the right amount of experience in customer service. 

 

Virtual assistants are divided into two categories: Those who work alone as freelancers or those who work under an outsourcing company or agency. This distinction will help you make the right decision when it comes to the type of VA you will want to work with. 

If you need help with simple administrative tasks for your small business, seek out freelancers on platforms like UpWork, Craigslist, or Guru. In case of extensive campaigns such as multi-channel lead generation or projects such as an e-commerce store, you will need to hire a team from a VA company that already has the tools, skills, and infrastructure you need for such assignments. 

 

VAs can help you reduce the workload that your in-house employees are handling.  However, when delegating technical and creative tasks to VAs, it’s imperative to hire people who are familiar with your niche. 

As a real estate agent who needs help with transaction coordination and listing management, you wouldn’t want to hire someone who is new to your line of business. In hiring a VA, it’s important to align your needs with the level of relevant experience and skills your VA can bring to the table. Otherwise, you would be spending time and money without getting any quality work done. 

 

Communication is integral in your professional relationship with your VA. Come to think of it, you could hardly achieve anything if there is ambiguity in the information that you receive or if your VA has trouble understanding what he or she needs to be doing. 

For this reason, you should be able to schedule a consultation with a candidate VA. Discuss your plans and targets and ask how they are going to approach these. You can also ask them if they are familiar with the platforms you are using. If you are the owner of a cleaning company and a potential VA doesn’t have experience handling tools such as ZenMaid or Launch 27, you might as well keep searching. 

 

At the end of the day, you only need to focus on two important things when hiring a VA: experience and competence.

OneVirtual Global Business Solutions is capable of providing both through its team of reliable, tech-savvy, and well-trained VAs. 

If you are on the market for virtual assistant services, schedule a consultation with us by clicking here. 

Managing your time is one of the most important steps you will need to take towards a successful and fulfilling life.

After all, time is a precious resource, one that you cannot easily replace. As a professional, time is something you wouldn’t want to waste, especially if you have goals to achieve. 

So, how do you optimize your time to reach high levels of success in your career? Here are a few tips to help you get it done:

 

The earlier you plan the work you need to be done, the sooner you can get it finished with even more time to spare. 

As early as possible, put together a list of all the work that you need to get done within the week and start planning out accomplishing all the tasks in that list. This will help you be more coordinated and organized when it comes to getting the job done.

Don’t forget to also make the necessary changes as needed in your schedule and also be sure to separate priorities from minor tasks. 

 

Speaking of priority tasks, these should have more importance when it comes to managing your time. 

Make sure to focus on these priority tasks one at a time and save more time for yourself. You might find that seeing the task through to the end can actually give you less to worry about. 

 

Being committed and driven at your work is admirable, but your health and well-being should also be taken into consideration.

For this reason, you can make your workload more manageable by organizing and spacing out your tasks based on a schedule. Avoid over-analyzing every task that comes your way and reserve some energy for tasks that require a longer timeframe to complete. You’ll still get a lot done for the day and you will be satisfied with what you have achieved. 

 

Asking for help can really make time management less of a hassle than it is. So, when you are swamped with too many tasks, don’t hesitate to ask for help. You will need as much breathing space as possible.

After all, the path to success requires the presence of mentors and advocates who can help you commit more time and effort to the most important tasks. 

Use these tips to keep your tasks in check and make the most of the time that you have. 

 

If you are looking to invest time for professional development, become a part of a company that cares about your growth and success. Send your resume to [email protected] today!

The outsourcing industry is adapting to innovations brought out by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sure enough, these advancements will have a positive impact on how outsourcing companies (especially in the Philippines) satisfy their international clients. 

What innovations are expected to develop and how can key industry players leverage them in order to stay competitive and deliver top-notch services during this time of disruption? 

The transformation of the outsourcing industry boils down to a few important trends:

 

More outsourcing companies are embracing the evolving trend of AI-automated processing in a bid to ease up workflows and enhance the quality of results. 

RPA or robotic process automation, for one, can help streamline time-consuming tasks such as moving files and folders, making calculations, and analyzing the behaviors of website visitors. This lessens the workload on both in-house and offshore team members and allows them to focus on more critical operations. It is only a matter of time before companies learn to leverage the full potential of automation for a number of applications.  

 

It’s no secret that cloud storage has been and always will be a valuable business asset. It provides businesses a secure means to backup data offsite and ensures continuity during a disruptive crisis.

Aside from file storage, cloud computing can also provide other benefits to businesses such as servers, networking, and even software. In most cases, this can be a pay-per-use deal, but most outsourcing companies are more than willing to spend the extra money for what they need in networking.

 

The pandemic has amplified the need to acquire new skills, specifically those that involve the adoption of new tools.

Upskilling benefits outsourcing companies by not only giving employees relevant but also enhancing those skills to provide customers with the best services possible. This, in effect, will lead to investments in training programs and education as companies race to keep up with the needs of their markets. 

 

Social media has always brought people together online and outsourcing companies can leverage this existing channel to help clients with their customer service activities and marketing campaigns. 

For this reason, social media will continue to be integral in helping businesses position themselves front and center. Apart from that, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can also be used to resolve customer queries and nurture existing relationships.

 

The most effective way of making the most of these trends is to outsource technical and creative tasks to a team of offshore virtual assistants.

This is where companies that provide businesses with virtual assistants can be most helpful, as they can be made aware of the latest trends in the business to help make your company flourish.

OneVirtual Global Business Solutions provides you with the skills and insights your business needs to thrive. Give us a call at your most convenient time by booking a consultation here.

The year 2020 may not be the best year for business, but it made us realize the importance of innovation and adaptation.

For the most part, the Covid-19 pandemic has only accelerated the drive towards digital transformation as brick-and-mortar businesses are setting up shop online. Apart from that, we have seen industries developing and implementing new ways of reaching out to audiences.

At OneVirtual Global Business Solutions, we have been following these important developments as they happen, knowing for a fact that global disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic encourage businesses to try out new tools, processes, and strategies. 

For this reason, we would like to wrap up the year 2020 with a recap of the best blogs we published:

 

 

1. Finding a VA For Your Cleaning Business

“Talk in detail about the tasks your VA needs to accomplish. Setting your expectations early on helps you narrow down your choices and find a company you think will hit all the right notes.”

 

2. A Cleaning Company’s Guide to the Covid-19 Crisis

“A single (PPE) set should include gloves, goggles, a single-piece protective uniform, and a facemask. When shopping for such sets, make sure the product is certified. You will also need to follow occupational safety standards on how to wear, clean, and store PPEs.”

 

3. The Importance of Digital Marketing in the Coronavirus Pandemic

“Above all, you need expert-level copywriting to get your message across while keeping in mind the current circumstances. You just have to look for a content writer who can help you prepare engaging and relevant material for your blogs, emails, and online ads.”

4. How to Create Amazing Real Estate Virtual Tours

“Homebuyers prefer 360-degree views to simple gallery photos. They want to imagine what it’s like inside the property without having to travel, especially if they want to save time and money shopping for homes.”

 

5. Why Digital Marketing Is Critical to Your Business RIGHT NOW

“People are not exactly dissuaded from spending. They still have travel plans and dream houses to realize. That said, it’s still important as ever to constantly reach out to an audience that’s eagerly waiting for the current situation to ease up and start spending again.”

 

6. 4 Tips to Running Your Business While Quarantined

“There will be moments when you will have to check in on your clients and see how they are coping with the current crisis. You can send them an email assuring them that you’re still in the loop. You may also give them a call and ask them if they have any issues you can help out with.”

 

7. Is Your Business Using These Top 5 Email Marketing Platforms?

“Consider using Constant Contact if you’re looking for something that’s easy to use. The platform is great for managing email lists and contacts. It also has a variety of email templates and marketing calendars to help you build an email marketing campaign from the ground up.”

 

8. It’s Time to Stop Wasting Time: The Long-Run Benefits of Outsourcing

“All of us are only human. As such, we can only take so much work before we crack. Thankfully, it is possible to outsource these overbearing tasks to a VA service that has the time and patience for them.”

 

9. The Trends That Will Shape Your 2020 Business Strategy

“Content, on the other hand, will still be an important element in generating leads and facilitating conversions in 2020. It is only a question of how companies will be optimizing their blog posts and other content assets for growing the bottom line.”

 

10. 4 Ways to Improve Customer Loyalty

“You might want to send a return gift you haven’t heard from them for a while or check in on them through a special email. All this can help you stay relevant and encourage your customers to keep engaging your brand.”

Are you ready to take on 2021? Put your best foot forward by working with top-notch virtual assistants. Schedule a consultation with OneVirtual Global Business Solutions.

Happy New Year!

Christmas in the Philippines is never complete without sumptuous food. We are lucky to have rich culinary traditions that blend foreign influences with local flavors. 

The only problem with having such an extensive menu of festive meals is selecting the best ones to serve during a Christmas Party.

If you are having trouble preparing a feast for your Christmas Party this year, we are giving you our top picks for must-try recipes.

 

Even as alcohol sales are limited, there’s no stopping you from enjoying this crispy and savory treat that goes well with fresh atchara.

For  this dish, simply boil a pork leg in a large pot with enough water to fully submerge the leg. Let it boil for an hour and add salt, bay leaves and star anise. Once the leg becomes tender, remove it from the pot, dry it out with a paper towel, and deep fry the leg in oil that’s heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Let the skin pop before serving the crispy pata on a large platter. All you need to do now is to enjoy — in moderation, that is.

 

Any Filipino celebration is never complete without this festive mainstay. 

There are many ways you can prepare embutido, but it’s best to start with the basics. First, you need to mix ground pork with bread crumbs, raw eggs, onions, carrots, bell peppers and other vegetables. To enhance the flavor of your embutido, mix in some raisins, salt, and tomato sauce. 

Layout this mixture on a sheet of aluminum foil. At this point, you can add sliced boiled eggs and hotdogs. Next, roll it into a log and fold the edges securely. Let it steam for about an hour before storing it in the refrigerator. 

Embutidos can be reheated and it’s always important to give it a dab of banana ketchup.

 

Popularly known as valenciana to Ilonggos, this fiesta essential is also great for the Holiday Season. 

The secret to preparing the best paella is the quality of saffron rice you are using and the amount of time you soak it in water. It’s best to wait at least three hours before you get started.

After sautéing garlic and onions, cook an assortment of seafood such as shrimps and clams for about three minutes. Make sure to add salt and black pepper. Add some tomato sauce and cook for another minute or until the juices blend with each other. 

Remove the seafood and add the rice to the sauce. Leave it simmering until the rice becomes tender. After that, place the seafood on top of the rice. This makes for truly Spanish-inspired feast for your Noche Buena this year.

 

What’s a Christmas feast without leche flan? This simple dessert is easy to make and can be modified in any way you wish. 

Start by beating egg yolks with condensed milk, fresh milk and vanilla extract. As you do this, you should have heated a leche flan mold over the stove.  

If the mold is hot enough, you can caramelize white sugar in it. Let  the liquified sugar settle on the flat side of the mold for about five minutes before pouring the egg and milk mixture. 

Cover the mold with aluminum foil and let it steam. After about 30 minutes, let the leche flan cool down and refrigerate it just in time for your holiday dinner!

 

Noodles symbolize a more prosperous life as they all say, so why not include this dish for a more  hopeful 2021?

Here’s what you need to do to prepare pancit malabon.  Simply cook a pack of pancit noodles as you normally would then set it aside.  

Next, sauté some garlic and onion and add boiled pork bits. Let the bits cook for three minutes before adding patis and pepper.  Add some shrimp stock and annatto water (basically istiwitis) to the mix and bring it to a boil. Let it cook for about three minutes.  

Place the noodles on a large platter or tray and pour the sauce all over. Finish the dish by topping it with chicharon, hard-boiled eggs, chives, and shrimp. 

 

What’s your menu for your Christmas Party this year? Let us know in the comments below.