cam operators make between 45 and 55% of their earnings - that's pretty common. having your own site can be a LOT harder to generate traffic for, and good quality cam solutions aren't cheap.

the advantage to working for a cam site is that you get all the other operators' regulars when they want a change. also big cam programs like ifriends have hundreds or maybe thousands of active webmasters sending traffic. another advantage is that a big cam site that has live models 24/7 will develop a lot of bookmarkers because there is ALWAYS someone on when they want someone.

since you won't always be online to amuse potential new guys, you'll need to create a full website so that new members will always have something to do. that means lots of different pic sets plus movies which costs time and money. also don't forget design - a bad design means it will be a LOT harder to make sales or get affiliates.

you're talking a fair chunk of money here to get started, plus a knowledge base that you don't have. if you were seriously going to do this, and if you had the money to pay for it all, i'd suggest hiring a program manager to help get it done - someone who is well acquainted with designers (lots so you can choose one), styles of sites that sell, processors (if you're in the u.s., getting a processor costs money, too). and if you're planning to pay by the minute, you'll need software beyond what the processor generally offers.

i've known several cam operators who decided they'd do better with their own site and went from making $4000 - $6000 a month to making under $1000. i can't stress enough that your own site will take money, content and knowledge - and if you try shortcuts, you could end up losing a lot of money.

all that being said, if you have the money and motivation, there are some awesome designers in our industry and some great programmers and processors. i've worked with some excellent and talented people in the last 9 years, and whatever you decide to do, i hope we see more of you here on the board