Depends how you want to go for it. Personally, without using tools I found my system by looking at my current in the System view, checking individual stations for imports/exports, found a decide Exporter of metals and then looked to nearby systems for stations importing metals. Flew to the station which wanted metals and looked for any commodities to trade for the return leg to the same station I bought my metals from. Metals are one of the highest profit commodities in the game right now. I got a pretty good route out of that before using tools(Which I used to find nearby trade loops near my chosen power).
My only tip would be to get as high grade an FSD as possible, or one that can facilitate a single fully laiden jump from one station to the next. Time is money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT0Wz-TI41E