If you have an idea for a startup but lack coding skills, your next steps could include:

1. Validate Your Idea: Before investing time and resources, ensure there's a demand for your product or service. Conduct market research, gather feedback from potential customers, and validate your idea's feasibility.

2. Find a Technical Co-founder or Hire Developers: Look for a technical co-founder who shares your vision and can handle the coding aspect. Alternatively, you can hire developers or outsource the development work to a software development agency.

3. Build a Prototype or MVP: Work with your technical partner or hired developers to build a minimum viable product (MVP) or prototype. This allows you to test your idea in the market with minimal resources and gather valuable feedback for iteration.

4. Learn Basic Coding Skills: While not necessary, learning basic coding skills can help you better communicate with your technical team and understand the development process. There are numerous online resources and coding bootcamps available for beginners.

5. Focus on Other Aspects of the Business: While development is crucial, there are other aspects of the startup that require attention, such as market strategy, branding, customer acquisition, and fundraising (if needed). Use this time to work on these aspects while the development is in progress.

6. Networking and Community Involvement: Engage with startup communities, attend networking events, and seek mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. You may find valuable connections who can provide guidance, resources, or even potential partnerships.

Remember, building a startup is a collaborative effort, and while coding is essential, it's just one piece of the puzzle. Focus on leveraging your strengths, whether it's in business development, marketing, or product strategy, and surround yourself with a team that complements your skills.

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services and earning a commission for each sale made through your referral link. Here's a step-by-step guide to get started:

1. Choose a Niche: Select a niche that aligns with your interests, expertise, and audience. It's easier to promote products you're passionate about.

2. Research Affiliate Programs: Find affiliate programs within your niche. Look for reputable companies with high-quality products and competitive commission rates.

3. Join Affiliate Programs: Sign up for affiliate programs relevant to your niche. Many companies have affiliate programs listed on their websites, or you can use affiliate networks like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or ClickBank.

4. Build a Platform: Create a platform to promote products, such as a blog, website, YouTube channel, or social media profiles. Focus on providing valuable content related to your niche to attract and engage your audience.

5. Produce Quality Content: Create content that educates, entertains, or solves problems for your audience. Incorporate affiliate links naturally within your content, such as in product reviews, tutorials, or recommendation lists.

6. Drive Traffic: Use various marketing channels to drive traffic to your platform. This can include SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, paid advertising, and more.

7. Track Performance: Monitor the performance of your affiliate marketing efforts. Most affiliate programs provide tracking tools and analytics to help you track clicks, conversions, and earnings.

8. Optimize and Scale: Continuously optimize your strategies based on performance data. Test different promotional methods, products, and content formats to improve your results. As you gain experience, scale up your efforts by expanding your audience reach and diversifying your income streams.

Remember, success in affiliate marketing takes time, patience, and persistence. Focus on building trust with your audience and providing value, and the commissions will follow.

One highly recommended reference book for developing a solid business plan for an e-commerce retail sales site is "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It" by Michael E. Gerber. While not exclusively focused on e-commerce, it provides valuable insights into building a successful business from the ground up, including the importance of having a clear plan and strategy. Additionally, resources like "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries and "Business Model Generation" by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur can offer valuable frameworks and methodologies for developing your e-commerce business plan.