You can hire people as a solo proprietor. You don’t have to form a limited liability company specifically for this reason. While it’s true that sole proprietors run their companies without any employees, that doesn’t mean they can’t. A “single trader” is someone who establishes a business in their own name rather than partnering with anyone else. As a result, a solo proprietor can be an employer.
Source: https://cheapaccountantsinlondon66.blogspot.com/2022/09/can-sole-proprietor-hire-employees.html