Vince,
I agree with Rick, there is no real organization that could provide what you are looking for since pricing within a specific area will vary from shop to shop. And as Dnkldorf mentioned, it is not because someone is lower or higher that makes them cheap or a crook.
When we help out 1 man shops with their breakeven, it ends up usually pretty high since 1 man is carrying the entire overhead and labor burden. The minute they bring on a second guy, that breakeven drops dramatically. However, your breakeven should not automatically dictate your prices. They should only reflect your costs, the actual pricing is left up to you, the breakeven will inform you of your true profit based on the pricing you set forth.
So if you do hire a second, third or ninth guy and your breakeven goes down, bring up your profit to maintain the same pricing level if it is working for you. You should benefit from your added efficiency and perhaps pass on a little discount to customers to be a little more competitive. If your breakeven goes up, you have two choices. Make less profit or increase your pricing accordingly.
There is no right or wrong here but only choice. Make an independent survey of pricing in your area and see how you compare. But bottom line, you need to pay the bills so make sure you cover your costs and a little profit for yourself at the least. And make sure your customer's perceived value is adequate for the price.
By the way, a lot of shops make a thin profit that is quickly lost due to a miscalculation of their breakeven. Don't forget about expenses such as callback labor, disposable tools, paid vacations and holidays, etc. If those are left behind, you will end up with little money after what seemed to be a good year.
Marc Blanchard
