During 2011 there were 6.5 million new businesses created. That works out to about 543,000 per month. That’s an awful lot of new businesses. So why are there so many? One reason actually has to do the downturn in the economy. With many people getting let go from their positions in the corporate world, starting their own business can seem like an appealing idea. Still other are looking for more freedom or to recognize a vision they have for the future.

Whatever the reason, entrepreneurship seems to really be taking off in America. This next inforgraphic from Docstoc.com provides us with some really interesting facts about what areas these businesses are catering to and where they are happening. It looks like there’s a good majority in renewable energy and internet-based technology, but there’s also opportunities in law enforcement and environmental.

The hot spots seems to be in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and of course, California. The worst places are Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Now that doesn’t mean that if you live in these areas that you have a worse or better chance of making a business work, it just reflects the trends as they fall right now. Take a look at what Docstoc came up with: