Also I'm curious to know what problem this solves or how much demand is really out there for this product. Need a site? Google Sites does the job well. Need a discussion group? Facebook Groups has that covered. Need to collaborate? Google Docs, Google Calendar, E-mail, all fit the bill fine.

If you're main pull is to provide custom design/branding, then why are users held to the GroupieGuide domain? Doesn't it defeat the purpose?

I interact with a research group on a day to day basis, but I simply did not see enough value for me to create a presence on your site. Maybe I missed the point--in which case you need to make it more clear why your product is not for me.