The article specifically mentions that these businesses have no W-2 employees, not that they don't utilize any contractors.
> which then opens the ongoing question of when is a contractor a defacto employee?
There are very specific IRS rules about when someone is classified as a W-2 employee vs a contractor; it's not like it's just up to the business. Of course there are gray areas (e.g. the whole "Uber drivers should be employees" debate), and there are many court cases focused on employee classification, but in general, having no W-2 employees whatsoever is a pretty good indication you are a single person business.
> which then opens the ongoing question of when is a contractor a defacto employee?
There are very specific IRS rules about when someone is classified as a W-2 employee vs a contractor; it's not like it's just up to the business. Of course there are gray areas (e.g. the whole "Uber drivers should be employees" debate), and there are many court cases focused on employee classification, but in general, having no W-2 employees whatsoever is a pretty good indication you are a single person business.