Here's some example of the skills and things that you must have before you start trading:
1. Capital - Amount that you are willing to lose and you might don't need in the next 6mos. If you want good amount of profit, you can start with a higher capital but since you are just newbie start with small and invest big later on.
Although that you said it in the last part of your sentence, it is very advisable to start trading with small capital, this will help you learn more because of the small money there. You won't have so much fear with small capital and with time, your expertise and confidence will increase.