How to approach an ecommerce business owner to let me be an affiliate for his products?

Probably. Although at the same time it depends on your negotiation skills. If you can demonstrate the value of having an affiliate program in place (perhaps with examples of competitors who already have theirs) then you may have some success.

Another option is being creative about it and figuring out a deal that doesn't require automated tracking, e.g. using coupon codes etc. that are specific to you.

For fastest results I'd suggest go where there's least reistance and where the money is.

Apply to join affiliate programs that are already in place. Since you're targeting retail I guess you have a retail traffic source such as a list, blog, facebook fan page, etc to promote their stuff.

After a few quick wins there and gaining some experience then you could try the next stage which would be to convince retailers to start an affiliate program where you are their sole affiliate.

They don't need to join an affiliate network. They just need to be setup with an affiliate script that tracks sales made by you. You set that up yourself or point them in the right direction so that they do it. Google affiliate script for more details.

But to make things even easier you could consider widening your net and become an affiliate of any site in your target niche, not just in Ireland. You wouldn't need to travel to other countries, phone or meet in person. It's all online. Any communication could be handled via email, skype, etc. This will open you up to a potential global customer base which is much easier to achieve sales than being restricted to one location.

I hope this helps.

Not necessarily; no.

I wouldn't think that's likely to be the best way forward, for themselves, nor perhaps for you either, if you really want to try to do this.

Please excuse the observation that it's something I probably wouldn't dream of trying to do. There are enough practical considerations, difficulties and hurdles in promoting things as an affiliate and ensuring that you get paid what you've earned as it is, without trying to start doing it with a company not even set up for it, who will probably have no understanding at all, themselves, of the practicalities and issues involved in it.

If you're insistent about this idea and determined to try it, I think you should be doing a lot more than "just" that.

That's perhaps why you have the problem which has resulted in your considering this most ambitious, difficult and unorthodox idea. Full marks for imagination and inventiveness, of course - but please excuse the observation that changing the "personal reasons" might well turn out to be a far easier and more appropriate way forward, here. Difficult to be sure, of course, with such incomplete information, but that's my perspective. I wish you good luck, either way.