Internal growth, also called organic growth, refers to a company expanding its business through reinvesting profits in the existing operations rather than through acquisitions or mergers. The key benefits of organic growth are that it presents less risk than external growth strategies, can be financed through internal funds, and builds upon a company's existing strengths and brands. However, organic growth may result in slower growth that dissatisfies shareholders and is dependent on overall market growth. Companies pursue organic growth by increasing employees, opening new facilities, investing in R&D, developing new product lines, expanding locations domestically or overseas, and increasing production capacity.