Basic trade
Trading in EVE is probably one of the most lucrative' and dangerous' occupations one could take up. You can make millions and millions of Disk’s' and loose them just as quickly. While there are things to you can do to mitigate your risks' there are some fundamental building blocks you must understand before persuading this carrier or you are destined to fail. Below are the most basic of tenants you must understand to be successful trading in EVE.

The Economics
While most have a grasp of making Disk’s few really understand the concept at its core. The idea is to buy something at a low price and sell it at a higher price. This part is simple. Anyone can load up and Indy and fly a few jumps' sell it and call themselves a trader. While most traders of these types see this is the all inclusive path to success' there are "points" that separate a basic trader from a "successful trader". They are...

Time is money
Trading takes time. Real time. How you spend your minutes in EVE trading directly relates to how much you will have at the end of your session playing. A trade run that takes 20 jumps and makes and 1 hour to complete and makes you 6 million ISK' is not as good one 3 jump route that only makes you 2 million ISK each but takes 45 mins. Obvious? You'd be surprised. Many people want that long haul' the instant infusion of large sums of cash to make their wallets fat' and completely ignore the "short haul"' smaller payout runs. You can make more then these short-sighted people if you do the math.

Size Matters
I’m talking about volume. The physical size of the commodity/item' you are trading. On the surface some items look extremely lucrative to trade' but a closer examination reveals this is not always the case. Items in EVE have varying volume and knowing how "big" something is can go along way to deciding if its profitable to carry. The bottom line' is you are selling your ships cargo bay' for as much as you can. Take for example construction blocks. This "type" of commodity is newbie bait if there ever was one. At first glance you might see a buy order for 700 ISK somewhere nearby and quickly dash off to buy those blocks in your station for 600 ISK. Good deal? Nope... Because each block has a vol of 4' which translates to 1/4 of the amount you can carry(capacity) per run. Remember you are selling your cargo cap' so those oh-so-lucrative looking CB's now have a "cargo point per ISK ratio of 25"' not 100. Conversely' take for example the antibotics. These only have .5 vol' and usually only make 18-36 ISK per unit. BUT' you can carry two' per "cargo point" which equates to 36-72 ISK per cargo point. Much better then those old Construction blocks' wouldn’t you agree?

Know your region
Knowledge is power. Knowing what trades' what doesn't' and the supply and demand of your chosen area will either make you or break you. Take the time to research your local solar system' (and surrounding areas) and see what is sold' consistently' in your operating area. Learn the prices' both buying and selling. Take notes of both the prices AND the volumn supplied and bought. There is a big "gotcha" here. A lot of times you may find a trade good that buy low and sells high' reasonably close' seemingly a great run. But' if the supplier (or demander) only needs 176 of that item' while the supplier has 157k for sale' (or vice-versa) does not make this a worthwhile trip. There IS an exception to this' and will be covered in the advanced tradeing section' but for now' leave this type of trade alone.

Basic Trade
Skills
The Skill sets required for trading are both many and diverse. While not as involved as a combat or mining profession' the time investment is substantial none the less. You begin with very limited access to the higher tiered skills (as opposed to the other professions)' but they can be quickly gained with just a bit of effort. With a bit of research' you can create a character that has a "leg up" on these basic skills' which gives you room to grow quickly. They are:
Frigate- Needed as a pre-red for flying most all starships' but specifically' industrials. Navigation- A must have' for the large base of higher tier skills' promoting speed' handling' and economy of flight.
Mechanic- Another must have' allowing modification of ship modules' and adding increased cargo capability.
Trade - The obvious. Again to allow you to access greater skill sets' and place many orders for buying and selling.
Industrial- Based on the ship of choice' most often on the race you started with.
Note: These are just the most basic of skills to have' with most needed to allow further progression. They are not the end' but the means...
Now' some will argue that the learning skills (learning' and the 5 basic "brain power" skills should be in here as well. And I do agree' however' to begin trading' and that’s what we are covering here' they are not "necessary". They should be gained though' as quickly as time (and money) allows. Saving you tons of time later when you train the higher tier’s skills you will be wanting.