Technology has advanced so much these days, that now it’s feasible to make a professional-quality video from your office desk or even your own living room. But what are we supposed to do with that kind of technology as small business owners? Since it’s likely we know our niches well and are always looking for ways to save a few bucks, we can use this new, widely available technology to create our own training videos.

You might think it’s a complete waste of time and resources, but keeping your employees in tip-top shape will help ensure your company is always on its toes when it needs to be. But not just any training video will suffice. Make sure you’re not wasting your time by keeping the advice below in mind.

Have a Good Plan

Don’t just throw up a YouTube video and direct your employees to it. You need to make sure you have a solid plan in place before you decide what you’re going to talk about. If you need to, have an outline in front of you. Try not to get off topic, and make sure all of the information you’re presenting is relevant. After all, employees will probably watch these videos on the clock, and if they aren’t useful, they’re wasting time that they could have spent being productive.

Respond to Feedback

Open up a channel between you and your employees and make sure they know that these videos you’re sending out are up for discussion. There’s no reason they wouldn’t be, especially since feedback is what makes the world turn. Each week – or day – you send them out, request a thought or two. Use these thoughts to make the next release even stronger.

Don’t Overshoot Your Budget

Buying new fancy gadgets and gizmos to make your videos even more exciting can be incredibly tempting, but it can also be incredibly unwise. A new technology or two might be worth investing in (like a quality video editor), but your videos don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles to be relevant.  Stick to the basics and make your video work for you on a budget.