//display errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set("display_errors", 1);

//init Joomla Framework
define( '_JEXEC', 1 );
define( 'JPATH_BASE', dirname(__FILE__).'/' ); // print this out or observe errors to see which directory you should be in (this is two subfolders in)
define( 'DS', DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR );
//echo JPATH_BASE;

require_once ( JPATH_BASE .DS.'includes'.DS.'defines.php' );
require_once ( JPATH_BASE .DS.'includes'.DS.'framework.php' );
require_once ( JPATH_CONFIGURATION   .DS.'configuration.php' );
require_once ( JPATH_LIBRARIES .DS.'joomla'.DS.'database'.DS.'database.php' );
require_once ( JPATH_LIBRARIES .DS.'import.php' );

//DB Connection
$Config = new JConfig();
$db_driver      = $Config->dbtype;   // Database driver name
$db_host        = $Config->host;     // Database host name
$db_user        = $Config->user;     // User for database authentication
$db_pass        = $Config->password; // Password for database authentication
$db_name        = $Config->db;       // Database name
$db_prefix      = $Config->dbprefix; // Database prefix (may be empty)

// Database prefix (if empty then remove prefixing double underscore)
$db_prefix      = (trim($db_prefix)=="") ? "":$db_prefix;
//echo $db_prefix;

$db_connect = mysqli_connect($db_host,$db_user,$db_pass);

$content_count = 0;

//CONNECTED! so run a SQL query as per usual
if (!mysqli_connect_errno()) {
    $query="SELECT COUNT(*) as ProductSku FROM ".$db_prefix."virtuemart_products";
    if ($result = mysqli_query($db_connect, $query, MYSQLI_USE_RESULT)) {
        while($obj = $result->fetch_object()){
            $content_count = $obj->ProductSku;
        }
    }
}

//echo $query;
//echo $content_count;
mysqli_free_result( $db_connect );

SELECT product_sku FROM #__virtuemart_products WHERE created_on <= NOW();"

//display errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set("display_errors", 1);

//init Joomla Framework
define('_JEXEC', 1);
define('JPATH_BASE', dirname(__FILE__).'/');
define('DS', DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR);

echo JPATH_BASE;

require_once (JPATH_BASE .DS. 'includes' .DS. 'defines.php');
require_once (JPATH_BASE .DS. 'includes' .DS. 'framework.php');

// Start database stuff
$db = JFactory::getDbo();

//Select records that were created today <------This works but i can't get it to //work in the joomla API.
$query = "SELECT product_sku FROM #__virtuemart_products WHERE created_on <= NOW();";

$db->setQuery($query);
$result = $db->loadObjectList();

//print_r($result);

if (!$result) die('Couldn't fetch records');
$headers = $result->fetch_fields();
foreach($headers as $header) {
    $head[] = $header->name;
}
$fp = fopen('/home/#####/public_html/test1.csv', 'x');
if ($fp && $result) {
    fputcsv($fp, array_values($head));
    while ($row = $result->fetch_array(MYSQLI_NUM)) {
        fputcsv($fp, array_values($row));
    }
    die;
}
?>

$db = JFactory::getDbo();

$query = $db->getQuery(true);

$query->select('COUNT(*)')
      ->from($db->quoteName('#__virtuemart_products'));

$db->setQuery($query);

$result = $db->loadResult();

echo $result;

<?php

//display errors
error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set("display_errors", 1);

//init Joomla Framework
define('_JEXEC', 1);
define('JPATH_BASE', dirname(__FILE__).'/');
define('DS', DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR);

require_once (JPATH_BASE .DS. 'includes' .DS. 'defines.php');
require_once (JPATH_BASE .DS. 'includes' .DS. 'framework.php');

// Start database stuff
$db = JFactory::getDbo();

$query = $db->getQuery(true);
$query->select('COUNT(*)')
      ->from($db->quoteName('#__virtuemart_products'));
$db->setQuery($query);

$result = $db->loadResult();

echo $result;