For many people, co-owning a successful business with their brother without fighting is as likely as winning Tattslotto.

We’ve been working together for five years now, and it’s almost like we’re married.

But for Jim Kompogiorgas, who co-owns a Tatts outlet/newsagent/post office with his brother Louis, family has always been vital to posting profits.

Jim and Louis have co-owned and run the business in Melbourne’s north for five years, and Jim says it’s part and parcel of his successful small business.

He says heated business discussions are left at work – and there aren’t very many of those.

“Like all siblings, you have to ensure business and family are separated, and they are,” he says.

“But we’ve been working together for five years now, and it’s almost like we’re married.”

Jim originally bought the post office in 2003 with his brother-in-law Theo, and when Theo wanted to branch out on his own, Louis bought his share of the business.

Through the constant customer flow from three nearby nursing homes and La Trobe University, Jim has seen the demographic change a lot.

When he started he says the clientele were mainly European migrants, and now he sees a lot of people from India and China – particularly students.

He says a successful businessperson is not just someone who can balance the books, but someone with an understanding of the community around you.

“One of the challenges is trying to improve and build up the business – trying to find new ways to meet the needs of the community.”

For example, he says the decision to extend their opening hours until 8-6pm Monday to Saturday means a lot more people can come to the shop after work or on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the longer hours, Jim finds owning his own business very rewarding – especially in comparison to his old job, managing an amusement parlour in Melbourne’s CBD.

“Unlike managing, when I put in that extra effort, I can see I have that extra money in my pocket,” he said.

So the extra profits stay in the family, rather than being returned to sender.

Fortunately, unlike many Tattslotto outlets, the Kompogiorgas have never been robbed of that extra money.

“We got broken into once about four years ago, but the alarm went off so the only damage was the mangled roof,” he said.