I have interviewed years ago the owner of an online baby store called GenuisBabies.com
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/OnlineSuccess/geniusbabies.htm and one of the main difficulties she faced when starting up was buying from wholesalers. It was not that easy to get an account with wholesalers, and they wanted minimum orders that she could hardly meet. I suggest you read the article and look at her website to see how she's doing it. It took her 6 months to receive her first order, but after several years the business is now doing very well that her husband has left his job to work with her on the business full time.
You have to first get a seller permit or sales license from your state. That is the first thing wholesalers will be looking at. You don't need a degree, but they would look at your website to see how well it fits with their vision for their products (some manufacturers are picky where their products are sold).
One of the best and quickest way to develop relationships with wholesalers and get accounts with them is to meet them during trade shows. Go to
http://www.tsnn.com for a list of baby products/services trade show and see which ones you can attend. Here are the upcoming trade shows for this sector:
Head Start's 8th National Research Conference - HSRC 8
Show Type: Conference
Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington
Jun 26, 2006 - Jun 28, 2006
ABC Kids Expo
Show Type: Tradeshow
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
Sep 10, 2006 - Sep 13, 2006
American Baby's Baby Faire - Atlanta
Show Type: Public Show
Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta
Sep 23, 2006 - Sep 24, 2006
The Pittsburgh Baby Expo
Show Type: Public Show
Pittsburgh ExpoMart, Monroeville
Oct 14, 2006 - Oct 15, 2006
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry AACAP 53rd Annual Meeting
Show Type: Tradeshow with conf.
Location To Be Determined - San Diego, CA, San Diego
Oct 24, 2006 - Oct 29, 2006
American Baby's Baby Faire - Schaumburg, IL
Show Type: Public Show
Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, Schaumburg
Nov 04, 2006 - Nov 05, 2006
American Baby's Baby Faire - Edison NJ
Show Type: Public Show
New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, Edison
Nov 19, 2006 - Nov 20, 2006
The Channel 3 Festival for Kids
Show Type: Public Show
Connecticut Expo Center, Hartford
Feb 10, 2007 - Feb 11, 2007
In terms of creating your website, one article that I found very useful is "7 Steps to Successful Web Site Development"
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol142/website.htm as it takes to you all the decision steps that you need to take when starting an online business. Like any other business, startup period is full of "should I do this" or "should I do that" questions. The article is useful because it helps you think through every step of the way - from why do you want a website to who is your audience to how will you create your website to how you will market your new website.
Here are the steps you need to take when creating your online business:
STEP 1: Set Your Goals - Why do you want a web site? What is the size of the online market? What are the goals for your website?
STEP 2: Develop Your Web Site Strategy - Who is your website target audience? What typically appeals to your target audience? How are the other websites (your competition) reaching out to this target audience? How will you measure your performance?
STEP 3: Set-Up Implementation Plans - What name will you give to your site? How do you envision the design of your web site? How will you create your website? How will you create your content? How will you maintain your website?
STEP 4: Start the Ball Rolling - Do you have a logo? For e-retailers, do you have the critical components needed to run an e-commerce site? h*********u going to host your site?
STEP 5: Create and Launch Your Web Site - Have you uploaded your site with your chosen web host provider? Are the scripts and application you need for your website functioning well? Have you tested your website?
STEP 6: Promote Your Web Site and Measure Its Results - Do you have a plan in place to market your website? Do you regularly review your traffic logs and web site performance tracker? h*********u going to get sites to link to you? Do you know the search engine keywords that you rank well? If your site is not visible in the search engine results pages for its keywords, what strategies do you intend to do?
STEP 7: Maintain Your Website and Grow Your Web Business - Continue to find ways to grow your web business. How do you intend to continue your education on web development?