One way to avoid this is to sell to craft and gift shops. Then have a look in another anywhere in the UK . You will see the same small businesses are supplying them. These craftspeople all earn hundreds a week. Even a small craft shop may have to spend 1000 a week on goods, often with just a handful of suppliers.
Shops are desperate for reliable suppliers.
You can be one such supplier. There are several answers, a common one is to use an agent. Agents work on commission and are paid at the end of the month following delivery. It doesn t matter where you live. When you wish to expand you take on another agent in another area.