Are you one of the more than 8 million people who downloaded the new Firefox 3 within a 24 hour period last month to set a world record? If not, it’s worth taking a look at this new version of the Internet’s second most popular browser.

Among the many enhancements in Firefox 3 are tools that make it much easier to return to sites you once visited. Using tagging, one-click bookmarking, and the “Smart Location Bar,” you can get back to a site even if you remember only a key word or part of the address. Security and privacy are also a big focus in this release, which includes phishing, virus, and malware protection, as well as new security settings and password manager.

One of the big reasons to consider the switch to Firefox, if you are currently using another browser, is the vast selection of add-on products. Here are a few I’ve found that are great for small businesses.

Your search for whitepapers, reports, and other documents will likely yield many PDF files, which don’t always open elegantly within a browser. PDF Download solves this problem. When you click a PDF link, options are presented to download the file, open it, or view it as an HTML file.

LinkedIn Companion for Firefox gives you access to your LinkedIn network at any time. Clicking an icon that appears next to names within your Web-based email will display LinkedIn profiles.

If you maintain separate lists of bookmarks on your home and office computers, you may benefit from Delicious Bookmarks for Firefox. Integrating del.icio.us, one of the most popular social bookmarking sites, with your browser makes it easy to maintain a single list of bookmarks that become accessible from anywhere.

A blog can be a key part of your online marketing efforts, but it has to be kept fresh to be effective. ScribeFire Blog Editor makes it a little easier to maintain an active blog with features that include the ability to drag and drop content from other Web pages you are viewing.

Instead of copying and pasting shipment tracking numbers into UPS, FedEx or other shipper tracking sites, install the PackageMapping.com Extension. With this add-on, you can right-click a tracking number and select “Track and Map Package.” Not only does it determine the shipping company and display tracking details, it displays the results on Google Maps and offers RSS and email updates.

What other Firefox add-ons have you found useful in your business?