one of the good things about cryptocurrency market is that the exchanges allow you to start trading with a small amount. there are even exchanges out there that allow orders as small as 0.00001000BTC which is about 6 US cents! you can invest about $10 and start your trading journey and gain experience.
so why NOW is the best time?
it is the best time because prices are falling and there isn't any pumps going on in the altcoin market. for instance if you have started trading last year, if you closed your eye and chose an altcoin to invest in then no matter what you chose it would have gone up and you would have made profit. but that doesn't make you an expert. instead it gives you a false sense of being an expert which will be more harmful in the long run when the dumps come (you can see how many people are currently crying about it on bitcointalk and telling everyone how they should have "patience" which is a big mistake).
BUT if you start now, you have to make good decisions otherwise you lose money. so you learn the most important lesson and that is decision making for example in choosing the right entry point and the right exit point.
and if you make the wrong mistake there is no safety net (pump) to cover your ass. which is why you will be forced to learn. and that can help you in the long run.
and know this: even in this dropping market you can still make profit