The Broker and Trading Platform
Choosing a reputable broker is of paramount importance and spending time researching the differences between brokers will be very helpful. You must know each broker's policies and how they go about making a market. For example, trading in the over-the-counter market or spot market is different from trading the exchange-driven markets.
Also, make sure your broker's trading platform is suitable for the analysis you want to do. For example, if you like to trade off of Fibonacci numbers, be sure the broker's platform can draw Fibonacci lines. A good broker with a poor platform, or a good platform with a poor broker, can be a problem. Make sure you get the best of both.
A Consistent Methodology
Before you enter any market as a trader, you need to have some idea of how you will make decisions to execute your trades. You must know what information you will need to make the appropriate decision on entering or exiting a trade. Some people choose to look at the underlying fundamentals of the economy as well as a chart to determine the best time to execute the trade. Others use only technical analysis.
Whichever methodology you choose, be consistent and be sure your methodology is adaptive. Your system should keep up with the changing dynamics of a market.
Determine Entry and Exit Points
Many traders get confused by conflicting information that occurs when looking at charts in different timeframes. What shows up as a buying opportunity on a weekly chart could, in fact, show up as a sell signal on an intraday chart.