Sheridan Corp.’s sales slumped badly in 2020. For the first time in its history, it operated at a loss. The company’s income statement showed the following results from selling 550,500 units of product: sales $2,752,500, total costs and expenses $2,855,400, and net loss $102,900. Costs and expenses consisted of the amounts shown below.

Total Variable Fixed
Cost of goods sold $2,140,000 $1,590,000 $550,000
Selling expenses 250,000 92,000 158,000
Administrative expenses 210,000 68,000 142,000
$2,600,000 $1,750,000 $850,000

Management is considering the following independent alternatives for 2018.

1. Increase unit selling price 20% with no change in costs, expenses, and sales volume.
2. Change the compensation of salespersons from fixed annual salaries totaling $150,000 to total salaries of $60,000 plus a 5% commission on sales.

Required:
a. Compute the break-even point in dollars for 2017. (Round final answer to 0 decimal places.)
b. Compute the contribution margin under each of the alternative courses of action. (Round final answer to 0 decimal places.)