The Women Presidents' Organization is taking over Boston next week for the 11th annual WPO conference. From April 24 to 26, women business leaders will be listening to speakers and attending interactive seminars at The Westin Copley Place--and Entrepreneur will be on the scene. I will be there to speak with and learn from some of the most powerful and influential women in the U.S.

The WPO is a nonprofit membership organization for women presidents' of multimillion dollar companies. On average, members have annual sales of $12 million, 89 employees and 21 years in business.

The conference kicks off on Thursday, April 24 with a keynote speech by Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink. The theme of the conference is Innovation: Maintaining the Competitive Edge. For more information about the schedule and registration, click here.

Customers are taking the upper hand as prices for products and services become more negotiable, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times report. Many small businesses are no strangers to negotiating deals. But as haggling hits larger businesses, small businesses may need to lower their prices, or customers will likely find better deals at larger stores like eBay, Amazon, and NexTag.

Feeling the squeeze of a slowing economy, both business owners and consumers search for ways to move forward. Included along with the Los Angeles Times article is a tip sheet for wannabe hagglers. One such tip: "Loyalty counts." This suggests to small businesses that rewarding loyal customers with lower prices may win them and their business over. And it's just one way business owners can survive through this temporary downswing.--Whitney Chen