Best suggation for investor that they should be able to understand basic accountancy principles, an annual report and stock market history. You probably do not need to become an accountant, but being able to understand the scoring system of the game can only help.
Getting a wide ranging education in personal finance, corporate finance, taxation, economics and investment theories will help. However,finding areas of the world or business in which you can become relatively expert can help in the process of finding investments. In the investment business, paper trading is how we all start. Pick a couple of companies, make a note of their price, the date, the reason why you want to buy them and then start following the stock.
As time passes, the hunch or assessment which made the stock such a great prospect will play out. Was it a good or bad decision? Would buying the stock 'for real' have made a profit or a loss?
This is an excellent learning experience and one that is vital to the long-term profitability of anyone in the stock market. To get the real experience, purchase some graph paper and chart the stock price movements each day by hand. Learn to compare this with the overall movements of the market and a whole new world of investment and money will begin to open up to you!