July 15, 2004

A family business

Almaden siblings work together to start TechRefuge

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

TechRefuge, an online technology service that sells high-quality office products at great prices, isn’t only a smart business, it’s also the brainchild of three Almaden siblings.

For John, Joel and Jenee Colombero, starting a family business together made perfect sense.

“The three of us have always worked well together as a family unit,” notes Joel. “We have the same persistent go-getter mentality and don’t get discouraged easily. All three of us were athletes, and whatever we involved ourselves in worked, so we decided to join together in business.”

The timing was right too, as John, a captain with the U. S. Marines, had recently concluded his tour of duty in Iraq. Joel had returned from traveling, and Jenee had recently completed a master’s degree in occupational therapy at age 22.

“When I knew he was doing some kind of business, I wanted a piece of it, because Joel is a go-getter and does everything 102 percent,” expresses Jenee. “He’s very creative and he’s the person to work with.” Although she also works in occupational therapy, Jenee didn’t want to just do the ‘9-to-5’ thing. “I also wanted to do something fun and independent,” she says. “And now is the time to do it.”

Joel feels the same way. “I realized that the regular 9-to-5 work environment wouldn’t work for me unless it was something I was passionate about,” he says. “Like connecting with kids, and doing something interesting that makes my life meaningful.” Following this pursuit, Joel is a part-time educational contractor with Rocket Science, immersing himself in educating and exciting local school students about science through conducting experiments and presentations.

While seeking additional work, Joel initiated his own advertising to attract accounts, which provided the catalyst toward creating his own business. “I thought if I can do this, why not try selling items online,” he muses, “which blossomed into, if I could do this correctly, and find the right niche, I’ll never have to work for someone else again.”

First market—Almaden
As the Colomberos grew up in Almaden, it is only natural that it is their initial market. They plan to reach out to the local community by advertising their Web site along Almaden Expressway.

“One of our endeavors is to associate what we’re doing with a local business feel,” notes Joel. “We get high-quality products—like computer printers, software, fax machines and printer and photocopier toner—directly from the manufacturer, and since we’re not dealing with any overhead, our prices are the lowest, which is an advantage for us.”

“People pay too much for these products,” he asserts. “For instance, I just sent one client two cartridges and saved him $60 on one and $40 on another. That’s two printer cartridges for one office, and he has four printers.

Month to month, that’s going to save him thousands of dollars, and he’s going to get the same quality product.

Once someone starts with us, they’re not going to leave, because we have great prices and products. That’s why we chose this business.”

Joel initially started TechRefuge by attending liquidation sales and auctions, and reselling the technology. In the process, he acquainted himself with the industry and how to sell products online. “I realized consumables were a wonderful way to go, as you have a client for life and the margins are good,” he says. “So Jenee and I work together, with Johnny acting as a consultant and a liaison for the military market.”

Stationed at Camp Pendleton
Since his return from Iraq, John Colombero has been stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, where he has assumed command of Charlie Company Infantry Training Battalion.

“I now have the opportunity to oversee the training of those same types of young men who fought so hard during the invasion,” he remarks. “I believe I’m a better person for having joined the Marines more than 12 years ago.”

Serving in Iraq has brought John a keen focus of what truly matters in his life, like friends and family. “The simple things are what I appreciate now,” he comments, “including the outstanding support I’ve received from friends and the community. I always look forward to coming home. I’ve grown even closer with members of my family. My mother and father keep close tabs on my affairs because they worry, so I look forward to spending time with them in Almaden.”

“This is our first time running a business,” states Jenee. “And since Johnny is the older brother and has a lot more experience, he’s been able to guide us. It’s been really helpful and opens Southern California markets to us.”

“I enjoy giving my little sis and younger brother advice [regarding TechRefuge], because it makes me feel like I’m a valuable player in the business,” affirms John. “I am confident all of their hard work will really pay off soon.”
July Fourth weekend

Reunited with John, the entire Colombero family spent the July Fourth weekend at Mount Shasta, their home away from home. “It’s a lot of fun, and one of the neatest places to be for the Fourth of July,” asserts Joel. “They have a fireworks display and a huge parade with floats each year. Every year we do a float for fun. We’ve done a mud wrestling float, and won second place for a military float where we wore Rambo paint and had smoke bombs. It was fun.”

“Our first float was a bubble bath,” says Jenee. “We had the song “Splish Splash” playing. It was hilarious.”

“We’ve made it better every year,” contends Joel. “This year we’re going to do an AC/DC float with Johnny singing throughout the whole parade. What you have to know about Johnny is that he thinks that he is the ultimate AC/DC cover singer. He tells me stories about how he goes to these places in Los Angeles and sings in their exact voice.

“We recently went with him to Britanna Arms in Almaden, and he sang and he was everything he said he was! He had a standing ovation; people were cheering and screaming.” Unfortunately, their plans for this year’s float fell through, as John was exhausted from attending an elite mountaineering training school—at Mount Shasta of all places—but there’s always next year.

“It was wonderful to see my brother in person,” relates Joel. “We spent time telling jokes, and he told us stories about his mountaineering school training and showed me some of the knots he had learned to tie. We talked about the business, and he suggested ways that I could make my workday more efficient, and how important it was to keep organized and pay close attention to details.

“ I can tell he is going to be of major benefit as a consultant in the future of the business. Before he left to continue with mountaineering school, he, and my mom and I talked about life and laughed with one another. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. I certainly hope he doesn’t have to go back to Iraq!”

Long-range goals
While attending to their immediate business plans, the Colomberos also keep an eye on their long-range goals, both private and community related. “We focus on customer service and are working towards sales, but we are inching towards a philanthropic approach,” states Joel, “where we can contribute towards education and the environment. With all of our products, we’ll always help our customers recycle, providing packaging and postage.

Besides recycling, we also want to give back to the community through supporting a different local philanthropy each month and have a percentage of our proceeds go towards that. We strive to feel like we’re more than a business.”

Joel’s goal is to one day create a documentary from the proceeds of the business. “We’re setting this business up to be successful and be self-sustaining, so we can do our own things,” says Jenee. “And we also want to give back to the community. We’re taking an environmentalist approach, using recycled products without sacrificing quality.

And we want to contribute to organizations that feel the same way. Also, we’re now working to provide the school districts with printer supplies and we’ll save them money, which we hope will go back into the schools to help the students.”

“If you combine the idea that we’re trying to give back to the community, and that we also sing karaoke and participate in parades, we’re showing that we’re human beings who care about the quality of life,” affirms Joel.

“That’s why we’re doing it—so we’ll be able to do what really matters.”

For more information, contact TechRefuge at http://www.techrefuge.com.